Fascination
by ashurahime
Summary: They can't take their eyes off of each other. Gravity draws them together. That which divides them becomes insignificant. A chronicle of love, friendship and war, this is the unlikely story of two souls that are, in every way, polar opposites.
1. Twilight Sun

Title: Fascination

Rating: Mature, for sex, violence and torture.

Synopsis: They can't take their eyes off of each other. Gravity draws them together. That which divides them becomes insignificant. A chronicle of love, friendship and war, this story follows the unlikely story of two souls that are, in every way, polar opposites. Ulquiorra has never known love, never known desire, never known life. Orihime is an angel with broken wings. With Aizen out of the way, Ulquiorra and Orihime seek to understand their undeniable fascination, even as it tears away at everything they thought they were.

Pairings: UlquiorraXOrihime, IchigoXRukia

Spoilers: After Chapter 296

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach (although I wish I owned Ulquiorra)

* * *

'Damn.'

A blinding whiteness closed in on Ulquiorra as he cursed under his breath. In an instant, the Caja Negacion had surrounded him entirely, trapping him in the empty, colourless world he found himself in now. Whiteness extended eternally in all directions, the world itself set within a powerful spiritual barrier that prevented escape. Ulquiorra furrowed his brow slightly, showing a rare sign of irritation. Analyzing the reiatsu compromising his surroundings, the Espada quickly judged that it would take him approximately two hours to break through the world's barriers and return to Hueco Mundo. _What a waste of time_, he thought with a mental sigh as the situation finally got on his very last nerve.

As he stood there, floating in space, long coattails drifting around randomly, he told himself that it was utterly unacceptable that he, Ulquiorra Schiffer, the Cuatro Espada, be outdone by the likes of Grimmjow Jaegerjaques. Emerald eyes grew faintly darker as he thought of the man who had burdened him with this unnecessary annoyance. Grimmjow was the most reckless person that Ulquiorra remembered ever knowing. He was a barbarian, akin to an enraged monkey, coming at you from every direction with full force, relying completely on his brute impulses for survival. Grimmjow never cared about the consequences or implications of his words or actions. He did whatever he wanted to whoever he wanted, and then got angry when things never went his way. In Ulquiorra's mind, this was pure idiocy, and, Grimmjow, a buffoon incapable of rational thought or foresight.

Ulquiorra knew how to get things done, and he knew how to get what the wanted. Unlike Grimmjow, he kept his thoughts to himself, not allowing his face to reveal any emotion. Ulquiorra would always wait for the opportune moment to strike, and then take what he desired in a single instant, leaving everyone around him seeing stars. For his own purposes, he would feign complete and utter submission to Aizen-sama, he'd play the part of the unconditionally loyal slave, hell, he'd become a _rodeo clown_, if it meant he would get what he wanted.

From one venture to the next, Ulquiorra, like a chameleon, took on any role that suited his purposes, allying himself with more powerful hollows, using their power to crush those who stood in his way, and then devouring them the moment they showed an opening. Serving Aizen-sama was just the latest in a long series of such endeavours that have culminated in the terrifying Fourth Espada.

This time, as always, Ulquiorra was able to pull a veil over everyone's eyes; he had fooled everyone so well that some of the cruder arrancar had started calling him 'Aizen's fuck buddy.' As for Aizen-sama, he had found in Ulquiorra someone whom he could trust with his most important affairs. The emerald-eyed Espada did all he could to gain Aizen-sama's trust for one reason, and one reason only: he wanted power. For as long as he could remember, more than anything else, Ulquiorra wanted power, and has resorted to any means to obtain it.

Ulquiorra was a master manipulator, calculating his every move with utmost care. He could easily read the people around him, learn of their personalities, their hopes, their fears. The piercing green orbs saw through everything, from the woman's phony submission, to the madness lurking within Aizen-sama's deep brown eyes. Through this, he set himself up exactly where he wanted to be. Ulquiorra became the soldier Aizen always dreamed of having: efficient, powerful, unwaveringly obedient, and emotionally unmovable. In return, Ulquiorra obtained power far beyond his wildest dreams. And, all he had to do was to keep up this charade of loyalty a little longer, until Aizen became the new God of the world. Once Aizen became God, he would be requiring a couple of loyal souls to advance his next plot, which would result in Ulquiorra being raised once again to a new level of power. And if Aizen failed, then just as well. Ulquiorra would just make sure that he wouldn't be around to get caught up in it.

This was the plan that Ulquiorra decided upon soon after he joined 'Aizen-sama.' As a Hollow, it was in his nature to strive ever higher, to become stronger than all others around him, simply because there was no other way to survive. Ulquiorra knew no other way of living. With him, as with all Hollows, being the strongest meant being able to live another day, and nothing could ever cloud this never-ending pursuit of power.

_That is, except her_, Ulquiorra mused silently._ She_ had a way of making him forget about all else, and his desire for her was without a doubt the oddest thing that had happened to Ulquiorra in his entire Hollow existence.

* * *

There wasn't much Ulquiorra desired, but when he wanted something, there was very little he wouldn't do to get it. Even if his target was a little (completely) different than usual, he would still capture it, as he always did.

It hadn't taken long for him to decide that he would have her. Something about her hair coloured like the setting sun and her gray eyes that were too expressive sparked a strange fascination in the usually unmovable Espada. The first time he saw her, he couldn't take his eyes off her for a second.

Aizen-sama had sent him to the material world to evaluate the power of the shinigami-human boy Kurosaki Ichigo. He never expected for anything significant to take place. It was just another task, a task that needed to be preformed carefully and efficiently. There was no need to rush, no need to dwadle. Soon, everything he was looking for would find its way into his hands. She was one of the first to arrive.

He immediately noticed a million things about her. Her peach-coloured face and lively gray eyes so clearly expressed determination, horror, fear, worry, and countless other emotions Ulquiorra had never bothered to think about, and even more emotions he couldn't understand. The feelings that he had always thought so burdensome somehow seemed beautiful on this young woman's face.

She had long slender legs, a thin waist, and a chest that seemed too large for her petite and graceful frame. Ulquiorra could not explain for the life of him why this observation seemed to come with an odd warmth in the pit of his stomach. Such a phenomenon he had never experienced.

But more than anything else, Ulquiorra's eyes were drawn to the woman's hair. It was like fire, like the passion burning beneath her eyes. Even while surrounded by the golden-orange foliage of early autumn, her hair stood out to him as if it were a candle glowing alone in the darkness. _No, not a candle_, he mused, _the sun_. The sun that he had never until now yearned after.

He stopped his train of thought short. The sun? This woman's reiatsu was pathetically miniscule. She was trash; it was obvious from a single glance. Luckily for the Cuatro Espada, Yammy was an idiot, and he had to repeat this thought out loud, as much to inform Yammy as to convince himself. He could not allow himself to be shaken so easily.

"They're nothing but trash. Every single one of them," he said coolly and with certainty. _Indeed, they are trash. She is trash…_ He convinced himself that he was glad that the woman was leaving, carrying a dark-haired woman away. The real world seemed oddly distant to him. The feeling in his chest was all-encompassing, and he had difficulty observing the situation through the confusing haziness.

Ulquiorra was vaguely aware of another person who had arrived with the woman, although who/what he/she/it was eluded him completely. That is, until Yammy, the bubbling fool, tore apart that person's arm. The woman with the hair of fire came running back, eyes filled with pain and regret. He couldn't shake the absurd feeling that she looked beautiful with that look in her eyes. In that moment, he could see nothing but those grey eyes, throbbing with a thousand emotions.

He continued to stare at her until Yammy asked if the girl was trash. Somehow, it was more difficult to form the words this time, when her eyes were dancing so entrancingly with emotion. Ulquiorra closed his large emerald eyes, suddenly not wanting to see what would ensue, and said the words he knew he must. He could not allow the human woman to have this amount of power over him. He could not endanger his plans over trash like that.

His own obsessive fascination shocked the stoic arrancar, even though, as always, the emotion could not be read on his face. How could his rational mind even _entertain_ the idea of abandoning his plans to go after a _woman_? Let alone a _human_ woman, let alone human _trash_. Never before in his endless pursuit of power had Ulquiorra ever stopped for even a _second_ for someone else, and now he was playing with the idea of making that woman his. It was inconceivable, unacceptable.

_Remember the mission_, Ulquiorra repeated internally._ A shinigami with orange hair and a black bankai. Orange hair, black bankai… It's strangely pleasing how her skirt flutters in the wind…_ Alright, that was it. The woman had to be destroyed before he was pulled any deeper into this morbid fascination.

"Yes. She's trash." Ulquiorra echoed his thoughts out loud, trying for the umpteenth time to convince himself that the woman was trash. However, did the assertion sound hollow, even in his own ears? He couldn't tell, and Yammy was no indication, as the thick-headed giant was already about to kill the girl. _I don't care that she will die. She is trash. She is trash… _

A shield had been raised between Yammy and the girl. Ulquiorra noted distractedly that the shield held the same kind of warmness as her hair. As he had been so distracted by the girl's eyes, he had failed to notice earlier that her face seemed to shine like moonlight, so pale and smooth, comforting and mysterious, somehow. _Hair like the sun, a face like the moonlight…_ And those eyes Ulquiorra had been so entranced by… They now held such strong determination, as if she really believed that she could defeat both Yammy and himself. Oddly, those determined eyes of hers infuriated Ulquiorra more than he thought possible. This woman was instigating irrational reactions from him, and he didn't like it. The emotional roller-coaster was almost more than he could take. What was happening to him?

That was when Ulquiorra's attention was turned for the second time towards that trash friend of hers, because the woman was doing something interesting. The woman seemed to be trying to heal her fallen comrade.

Completely uninterested in everything else going on around him, Ulquiorra focused on the shield that enveloped the arm of the woman's comrade. In intense concentration, he mentally went through the possible powers that could cause the phenomenon he was observing. _A healing spell? No,_ Ulquiorra thought. _This is something completely different than a normal healing spell. Reversing time? Spatial manipulation? Whatever it is… it is certainly not healing. Never have I seen something quite like this before… Perhaps the woman is not trash after all…_

Ulquiorra felt it again. The desire to have her, to _own_ her. She was not trash, and she was unique, and Ulquiorra tried to convince himself that this was enough of a justification for him to want her. He failed. While his face remained unchanged, the rational side of him once again gained dominance in his internal debate, and he refused to be mesmerized by the woman any longer. He ordered her killed. Luckily, Yammy didn't notice the uncharacteristic impatience in Ulquiorra's voice.

And, just as Yammy was about to strike down upon the gorgeous woman, a man with orange hair got between the two. Suddenly, the woman took on a pitiful look, and for a moment Ulquiorra didn't want to watch her anymore. What had happened to her strong attitude? Why was she suddenly acting like a frightened child? Who was this orange-haired man who had caused this change? Whoever he was, Ulquiorra found himself hating him with an intensity that he didn't think possible. Why was this woman stirring such powerful emotions in him?

The stranger released his bankai. _Orange hair, black bankai. Ah, so he is our target…_ Ulquiorra saw his chance, his striking green eyes narrowing slightly. With his hands still in his pockets, the Cuatro Espada let Yammy loose on the shinigami, watching the woman intently for a reaction.

The shinigami was powerful, even surprisingly so. He was able to chop off Yammy's arm with ease. Ulquiorra figured it might be best to kill him now to avoid trouble in the future. The boy could prove problematic to Aizen-sama, and therefore problematic to Ulquiorra's own plans. Ulquiorra had to consciously suppress another reason to kill the boy: perhaps that woman would no longer show such a pathetic face if he weren't around anymore. He decided then that if Yammy failed, he would kill the shinigami himself.

Just then, the boy's reiatsu began to fluctuate wildly. _At one moment he's trash, and then the next, he's even more powerful than I_. Yes, the boy was proving to be interesting, and the sight of his pain even managed to pull a delicious scream from the woman. From the corner of his eye, he saw Yammy smack the redhead, sending her flying. She was still alive, but Ulquiorra decided he would punish Yammy later. After all, he hadn't yet decided against taking ownership of the woman.

For the first time ever, Ulquiorra was filled with indecision. Some rather powerful people had arrived, and Ulquiorra and Yammy were now outnumbered. He would have to leave soon, so he had to decide on his future course quickly. Should he just kill everyone, then leave the Material World before more back-up arrived? No, Aizen-sama had designated only one target, and he would not want to disobey orders at such a pivotal time. Should he leave everyone alive, and take the woman away with him to Las Noches? No, he would have no way of justifying an immediate kidnapping, even though she was interesting. Should he kill the boy quickly, and then leave? No, it would be a shame for the shinigami to die before he could develop his powers enough to be a worthy opponent for Ulquiorra.

The final, most important question hung before him. Should he just give up on the girl? Unacceptable. She held his fascination, and once Ulquiorra set his sights on something, he would never let it escape. Something about her hair and her eyes had left Ulquiorra stunned. He had to find out what was so special about her. For some reason, Ulquiorra suddenly felt like everything else only came second to that.

Even though the logic behind Ulquiorra's desire for the woman was flimsy at best, and none-existent if he were to be truly honest with himself, the fact of the matter was that he desired her. There would be no negotiations. The woman _would_ be his… Which left him with just one option.

Ulquiorra intervened just in time to save Yammy's life. He quickly declared the battle over and the substitute shinigami trash, asserting that his mission was complete. Stepping through Garganta with Yammy, Ulquiorra now had a new plan to set into motion. He would have the woman, and she would chose of her own free will to come to him. All that was left to do was use the power of his eye to show Aizen-sama why it was in his best interest to have the woman in Las Noches.

Upon returning to Hueco Mundo, Ulquiorra gave Aizen-sama his report. As usual, the scene everyone witnessed was twisted to Ulquiorra's advantage. The boy with the orange hair and black bankai was portrayed as mediocre trash unfit to be killed by a soldier of Aizen-sama. The woman was shown as someone with unique and extraordinary powers that defied God, and who was an integral part of the enemy's forces. As planned, Aizen-sama wanted her, if not for the strategic advantage it would grant, then for the sick amusement of seeing her cower in fear in his presence.

Manipulating Aizen-sama was easier than it should have been, but, then again, someone as powerful as he probably didn't really care what went on on the side, as long as his plans were advancing. Ulquiorra knew that Aizen was merely using the woman as bait, although whether or not it worked mattered little to him.

That night, in his chamber bathed in soft moonlight, Ulquiorra contemplated the events of the day. He sat on his large white couch, trying to find some order to his jumbled thoughts. Somehow, the future he so desired just a couple of hours earlier seemed meaningless. He had always believed that the only thing with meaning was power.

Yes, power meant that you would not be devoured. Power meant that you would not retrograde into a mindless beast. Power meant that you could live to see another day.

_But what purpose does power serve, _Ulquiorra thought, as he closed his eyes,_ if there is no sun to greet you in the morning? _

Ulquiorra shook off this absurd thought, deciding that he preferred to remain sane rather than try to figure out where that thought had come from. Finally, his troubled mind found peace as he stared up at the crescent moon in his small window.

* * *

The events of that day changed Ulquiorra's life, although he was still unsure if it was for the better or not. Despite the pleasure of having the woman in his grasp, Ulquiorra was fully aware that his fascination with the woman was unhealthy; only trash like Grimmjow and Nnoitora took pleasure in inflicting pain on a living thing.

Ulquiorra's plan was to explore the woman's psyche, so that he might be able to understand why he couldn't stop thinking about her. Whatever the reason, he was hoping to put an end to it before it came to the point where he'd have to choose her over Aizen-sama. But every time he spoke with her, every time he was in the _same room_ as her, he found himself puzzled over every little thing that she did. Absolutely nothing about her made sense to him.

Unlike everyone else he had ever known, he could not figure her out. Sure, he knew she wasn't really loyal to Aizen-sama (who was?), and that she cared deeply for her friends, but there was much more there that he just couldn't see. Her essential personality eluded him. Whenever he thought that he had her figured out, she would surprise him. When Ulquiorra thought she was a meek girl, she acted bubbly. When he thought she was weak, she showed him how firm-minded she was. When he thought he could break her, full of determination, she slapped him across the face.

Each time Orihime surprised him, Ulquiorra would find himself wanting to hurt her. Oddly, it felt like, in her own way, she was rebelling, not against Aizen-sama, but against him. And he needed to punish her, to show her who was in charge, who _owned_ her. But every time he crushed her down, she came back stronger, as if she knew how much torment she was putting him through. And even though Ulquiorra hated that woman, hated how she was insubordinate, how she let her friends make her weak, and how she would call out 'Kurosaki-kun' in her sleep, what Ulquiorra hated the most was that, even while hating her, he couldn't help but be affected by everything she did and said.

Even now, in this world that is empty of all life and colour, with absolutely nothing to remind Ulquiorra of her, his thoughts drift, as they always do, to Inoue Orihime. He could not understand the look she gave him before he and Grimmjow had started fighting. Ulquiorra had almost killed her precious Kurosaki-kun, her most important person, and yet all her pathetic soul could muster was apologetic eyes and a diverted glance? What was that woman thinking? After ten minutes of careful thought, he still couldn't figure it out.

Ulquiorra wanted the woman. His encounters with her had not changed that. From the moment he laid eyes on her, he desired her. Suddenly, irrationally, he didn't care about gaining more power anymore; he just wanted to _own her_. Ulquiorra's carefully cultivated plan flew out the window. There was no choice to be made here, he realized later. Inoue Orihime would belong to Ulquiorra, although in what way, Ulquiorra had no idea. For the first time, he couldn't understand his thought-process, nor justify his decision. But this didn't matter. The woman would be his, for whatever that meant. He had already changed his plans, now he needed just adapt them to his current situation within the Caja Negacion.

And that is why, in this world even more glaringly white than Las Noches, Ulquiorra was lying in wait. His hands in his pockets, eyes closed in contemplation, Ulquiorra was bidding his time. He ran through the events of the last few days in his mind, remembering to the smallest detail everything that occurred with the intruders, with Aizen-sama and the other shinigami renegades, with his fellow Espada, and with the woman. With his superior intellect and vividly clear memory, as well as his rather intimate knowledge of Aizen-sama's doings, Ulquiorra constructed in his mind the most probable course of events for the next few hours, and also the best way to take advantage of the situation.

Nnoitra had incapacitated Sado Yasutora, and was still on the prowl. Aaroniero and Kuchiki Rukia had killed each other. Szayel Apollo was winning against Abarai Renji and Ishida Uryuu. Grimmjow was undoubtedly fighting Kurosaki Ichigo about now. Knowing their strength levels and personalities, Ulquiorra surmised that the shinigami would likely defeat Grimmjow before Nnoitra would intervene and kill the injured and exhausted Kurosaki. With this, all of the intruders would be dead. And, although to Ulquiorra this was a good thing, there was one thing that bothered him in this equation.

The woman was out of her cell, and by the substitute shinigami's side. This unnerved Ulquiorra to no end. He figured she would most likely do something idiotic like try to get between Nnoitora and Kurosaki Ichigo, which could result in her death. This would certainly put a damper on Ulquiorra's plans. The women must definitely, _definitely_ not be harmed. And, once again, under the cool surface of his smooth, ashen face, Ulquiorra's lifeless veins coursed with anger towards the Sixth Espada. Not only did Grimmjow trap him in this barren void, but he brought Inoue Orihime into harm's way. And that was simply inexcusable. Just what did that trash think he was doing with _his_ prey?

After four more hours floating in emptiness, Ulquiorra's eyes snapped open in resolution. His plan had long been formulated, and he had waited long enough. It was time to leave.


	2. Encounter

Even over the busy bustling sounds, the moaning and groaning, of the people around her, the sharp voice of Matsumoto Rangiku could be heard. "Hey, Orihime-chan, we need your help over here," the redheaded vice-captain called out to her friend. "The Captain's injured!"

"Coming Rangiku-san!" Orihime shouted back from the other side of the clearing, where the battle had taken them. The healer, still in her Arrancar ensemble, concentrated even more intently on rejecting the wounds of Captain Ukitake, who had, along with several other captains, just defeated the seemingly invincible Aizen. Although the battle was long and hard, in the end, Soul Society had triumphed.

Komamura Sajin and Kira Izuru had lost their lives in the fray, as well as several of the strong third and forth seats who had come to offer backup. Although the grief was poignant in the atmosphere, there was also a liberating sense of relief, as things could very well have turned out much worse. Soul Society had counted itself very lucky, although it was a little more than luck that had lead Soul Society to victory.

Tousen was not very powerful to begin with, so Soi Fong had taken him out rather easily, but not before he made a cheap shot at Rangiku, hoping to bring at least once person down with him. Unexpectedly, when the smoke had cleared, not only was Tousen found dead, by Gin was dying as well. It seemed that his body simply could not bear to see Rangiku hurt, and had moved on its own. Gin died in Rangiku's arms.

With his two shinigami allies dead, Aizen and his top three Espada were forced to face five captains. As always, the brown-haired dictator had shown nothing but a confident face. His smug look incited Captain Hitsugaya to release his bankai, but for all his desire to kill Aizen, the young captain was forced to go through Stark first.

The odds seemed to lie heavily in Aizen's favour, until certain unexpected visitors made their appearances. Kurosaki Isshin and Ishida Ryuken, as well as all the Vizards, joined the fight on Soul Society's side, providing some much needed back up.

Meanwhile, Urahara Kisuke and Shihouen Yoruichi had opened Garganta in the now abandoned Las Noches, allowing the 'intruders,' as well as a very special 'guest,' back to the material world. By the time all these got to the battlefield, things were again looking pretty desperate. All the shinigami and Vizards were heavily wounded, while Aizen remained almost untouched. Orihime and Captain Unohana healed the wounded while Kenpachi and Ichigo ran recklessly into battle, followed quickly by Byakuya, Mayuri and all the others who had just arrived from Las Noches.

With this new influx of fighters, the fight between Aizen and Soul Society seemed rather even. But just when it looked like this was going to be a battle of attrition for Soul Society, another unexpected turn of events took place.

With some of the most powerful souls in all the worlds keeping Aizen busy, slowly but surely wearing down on his strength, Aizen was beginning to show very brief openings. While the shinigami were in no position to take advantage of these, as they were defending against Aizen's bankai, Stark, Halibel and Barragan abandoned their battles and begun to attack Aizen. With the tides turning, the shinigami assumed, the Arrancar saw their chance at freedom, and took it. With the help of these Arrancar, the great Aizen had fallen, his ambition never to be fulfilled.

In the end, of these three Espada, only Stark survived. Because of the great help that these rogue Espada had been for Soul Society, Stark had been allowed to leave peacefully, but not before Orihime healed his wounds as a sign of gratitude. She then joined Unohana in healing the coalition's injuries.

This was where Orihime found herself at the moment, busily healing everybody's wounds. None of her nakama had been killed, and the young woman was dizzy with relief. The stress that had been building in her for the last few days had been suddenly released, and Orihime could hardly hide her elation.

Humming a fast cheery tune, the jubilant girl told Ukitake to take it easy for a minute as she skipped-ran over to where she had heard Rangiku's voice. As she approached, white cape flaring as she ran, she saw the older woman with the long orange hair crouched down next to her captain. Toushiro, like everyone else, was heavily injured, although most of the time he was fighting Stark. However, due to Stark's treason, Toushiro was in the position to land a good blow on his much-hated foe, and was awarded the pleasure of sending Aizen to his death.

The short shinigami was lying down, open wounds bleeding profusely, sharp blue eyes still troubled. He was thinking of Momo, it was obvious. However, instead of hiding her enthusiasm to give Toushiro room to think, Orihime felt the need to cheer him up.

"Don't worry, Toushiro-kun," Orihime said while dropping to her knees next to Rangiku, whose eyes were still red from crying. "I'll fix you right up!"

Orihime didn't miss the wary glance that Rangiku gave her, but she also didn't miss how Toushiro's eyes softened slightly at her words. A golden barrier enveloped the white-haired captain, rejecting the young boy's wounds. It didn't seem right to Orihime that this child had to suffer so much, no matter how incredibly powerful he was. Within her barrier, she saw Toushiro relax, and it was times like this that Orihime was truly grateful for her powers.

"Orihime-chan," Rangiku's almost hesitant voice broke through her friend's reverie. "Are you okay? I mean, they didn't hurt you, in Hueco Mundo, did they?" The vice-captain sounded apologetic; it was obvious that she wished she could have done more for her friend. Orihime could sympathize.

"No, No, it wasn't so bad!" Orihime didn't want Rangiku, or anyone, for that matter, to feel guilty over what had happened. Although she wouldn't admit it, Orihime didn't want to play the helpless defenceless victim, because she felt from the bottom of her heart that her capture was her own fault. _If only I had been stronger… _Orihime had to stop herself from looking sad. That would defeat the whole purpose of comforting Rangiku!

"Sure, I mean I worried about my nakama, but I also worried about them when we were fighting Aizen earlier!" The vibrant girl let her soft gaze fall upon her shinigami friend with an assuring smile, attempting to sound convincing. "And the only person I saw the whole time was Ulquiorra, and even though he was really mean, he never hurt me or anything!" _Come to think of it, what happened to Ulquiorra? Shouldn't he have escaped that caja thing already? It's already been much more than two or three hours, _Orihime thought as she turned towards the west, seeing that the sun was already low in the sky.

Under the worried gaze of Rangiku, Orihime continued to heal the injured Captain of the Tenth Division, her rejection barrier now offering more light than the sun. The grey-eyed girl began to wonder if perhaps Grimmjow had been wrong, and that Ulquiorra wouldn't be able to escape from that other dimension. This thought saddened her. So what if he was mean? From what she knew, he was much nicer than some of the other Espada. Grimmjow and Nnoitora downright terrified her, and it was obvious that they would never hold back from hurting her, as Ulquiorra did… often.

With an audible sigh, the redhead realized that there were a lot of times when she would have probably been killed if someone else had been her guardian. Even when she had slapped Ulquiorra, he had just glared at her, albeit a little more angrily than usual, then left the room. He had spared her? Or was he ordered not to hurt her? Either way, it didn't make sense. After all, Aizen didn't even end up really needing her, so why would he protect her? Furthermore, why would he order her to keep repeating those assertions of allegiance? Had all that been Ulquiorra?

"Maybe he just prefers psychological abuse over physical abuse…" Orihime was deep in thought. What was the meaning of all those things that had happened to her while in Hueco Mundo? In her intense contemplation, Orihime hadn't noticed that she had spoken her thought aloud.

"What?!" _What is this_ _serious expression doing on Orihime-chan's face? Did she mention something about psychological abuse?_ Rangiku knew from her time living with Orihime that she could say some really random things sometimes, but what _else_ could she possibly be thinking about? They _must_ have put her through _some_ sort of abuse!

Back to reality, Orihime waved her arms around frantically in front of her, trying to come up with an excuse. Rangiku, who had begun to hover over the girl in extreme concern, was throwing questions at the stuttering girl like she was a convict before the firing squad. Both stopped when a loud rumbling sound was heard echoing through the air.

"Hehe," Orihime laughed weakly, rubbing her tummy. "I guess I'm hungry. Ulquiorra didn't bring my lunch, after all…" There she was, thinking about him again. Maybe he had escaped that caja thing, but just hadn't come for her. For some reason, the former captive had a hard time imagining that to be the case. It just seemed that he was always around, even though she had only been by his side for a few days. It felt weird to the girl now that he wasn't.

Just then, another rumbling sound resounded through the park, much louder than the first. This time, it caught everyone's attention, pulling the Captains and Vice-captains of Soul Society away from their discussions. Just then, the fabric of space was ripped just a few yards away from where Orihime was crouched near the almost-healed Hitsugaya. Immediately, a thin pallid hand with long fingers shot through the rip. The hand was then followed by an equally pale, and equally thin, young man, with eyes a shocking emerald green and a teal zanpakutou at his waist.

Most of the people present had never encountered Ulquiorra, but it was obvious from his half-helmet made of bone and his exposed Hollow hole that he was an arrancar. Some of the recovered captains drew their swords, preparing for battle.

"So you're back for a rematch, eh?" Ichigo exclaimed confidently as he grasped Zangetsu in both hands, pointing it towards the Arrancar. It was obvious that Ichigo, who had improved greatly from his fights with Grimmjow, Nnoitra and Aizen, looked forward to settling the score with Ulquiorra. "Fine, I'll fight you."

Ulquiorra, however, wasn't listening.

The tear-streaked Espada tried to withhold a look of surprise from reaching his face. He could not sense the reiatsu of any of his former comrades, and the intruders were not only alive, but in the human world. Had the battle already been decided? _I must have waited too long. It will be more difficult to gain Soul Society's trust if I cannot help them defeat Aizen…_

"Hey, don't ignore me!" Ichigo's grin had disappeared, replaced by an annoyed scowl. The orange-haired shinigami took a purposeful step towards Ulquiorra. "I'm gonna show you what happens when you mess with my nakama!"

Ulquiorra stood motionless, eyeing his surroundings impassively. _Unforeseen circumstances must have accelerated Aizen's original plan…_

Orihime could only stare at the lone Arrancar who had appeared before her. She couldn't help but feel relieved; he wasn't hurt anywhere, his cloths hadn't even been torn. His face was as calm and emotionless as she remembered, looking almost serene to the teenage healer. His pale green tear-marks still added some (much needed) cuteness to his serious face and brought out those beautiful green eyes.

When she finally managed to tear her eyes off of him, Orihime saw the looks that her comrades-in-arms were giving him. Was Ulquiorra insane, or just suicidal? She finally noticed that Ichigo was trying to pick a fight with him, and realized that Ulquiorra was going to die here if she didn't do something. She was the only one who knew that he wasn't really such a bad guy.

Mustering up all her courage, Orihime got up, running past Rangiku and towards the melancholic Espada, ignoring her friend's cry to stay back. Stopping only three feet away from him, purposely between the Arrancar and Ichigo, the orange-haired girl smiled her brightest smile.

"Welcome back, Ulquiorra!" There was a false note somewhere in her cheeriness that nobody missed. Ulquiorra turned his body around to gaze at her, his inner astonishment not reaching his cold emerald eyes. _This is the first time she has smiled in my presence…Her face is even more exquisite like this, when it is filled with such… warmth…But, why does she welcome me, and with such a face? Should she not fear her former captor?_

Amidst the shouts and threats and cries that were surrounding the two, Orihime was trying her best not to look shaken and give away her plan, and Ulquiorra was trying to figure out exactly what this woman thought she was doing. Was this pathetic little human trying to protect _him_, the Quatro Espada (well, former Espada)? Didn't her feelings only go out to her precious nakama? Wasn't it he who had caused all her sorrow? As was usual when it came to her, he could find no answer to any of his questions.

"Inoue Orihime, where is Aizen-sama?"

"He is dead, as are Ichimaru Gin, Kaname Tousen and most of the Espada. If you do not want to join them, then leave the human world immediately and never return." The voice was of Captain Hitsugaya, who had gotten up and started advancing towards the two. Orihime's eyes widened in fear.

"I will not be leaving this world any time soon," Ulquiorra sounded tonelessly, eyes never leaving the girl in front of him. "I still have business with the woman." He could not leave, not until he understood this woman, not until he stopped thinking about her constantly, not until these unwanted emotions stopped surfacing. He wanted to own and control her, a feat he had yet to accomplish, even while having her all to himself in her small cell. Yes, this task would be requiring his immediate and focused attention.

"Bu-Business with me?" Orihime was baffled, what could Ulquiorra possibly want with her? A moment later, Orihime's eyes widened in understanding. "Oh, yes BUSINESS," Orihime exaggerated the word, speaking loudly so everyone could hear. "Ulquiorra and I have BUSINESS… Over there!" As the orange-haired girl said this, she grabbed Ulquiorra's white sleeve and attempted to drag him with her into the nearby bushes.

"What are you doing, woman?" Ulquiorra was once again confused by the girl's behaviour, the furrow in his brow deepening. Even though he wasn't the Quatro Espada anymore, and she was no longer a prisoner (technically), she should still have the common sense to treat him with the utmost respect. What would make her think he would let himself be dragged through the shrubbery?

Although the girl's courage was rather endearing (something he would never consciously admit to himself), she was mistaken if she thought she could dominate him. He could kill her in a second if he so desired. But such a thought was unthinkable, especially when she was giving him this odd look that was at a time annoyed, pleading, frightened, and awed.

Looking into Ulquiorra's empty stare, Orihime's annoyance subsided, as she had to marvel at his bravery. Here he was, deep in enemy territory, completely alone, refusing her help, and still holding himself with that sense of dignity and grace that made him look so beautiful.

Yes, she could admit it, she found Ulquiorra handsome. His facial structure reminded her of a porcelain doll's, and his big green eyes were the most beautiful she had ever seen. They were at a time both empty and full of emotion. Orihime had never seen anything like it.

But more than anything else, Orihime admired his grace. In everything he did, his movements were fluid, his voice even. He was powerful and confident, even in dire situations like this one. That dignity that defined Ulquiorra to Orihime was, oddly, something that Orihime didn't want to see taken away from him. She felt like he should always carry his head high. _Maybe he can do that better now that he doesn't serve Aizen…_

"Inoue Orihime," Ulquiorra said her name carefully, as if he were talking to someone who was mentally inept, shaking the girl from her daze. "For the last few days, you were under the illusion that you were the prisoner of Aizen. That is untrue. It was I who proposed your capture, who brought you to Las Noches, and who took care of your essential needs. You were mine all along."

Everyone, including Orihime, was staring at the former Quatro Espada, wide-eyed and confused. Many were enraged, but stopped themselves from shouting at him, as he continued.

"Aizen was just a means by which I could obtain you without sacrificing my other plans. However, with Aizen dead, there is no way for me to continue to pursue those plans, nor is there a reason for me to return to Hueco Mundo." Ulquiorra continued coolly, unaffected by the hateful and incredulous stares he was getting from his audience.

"At the moment, my greatest interest lies in you, Inoue Orihime. That is why I had you come to me, and that is why I am here now. I want you to be mine." Ulquiorra finished his explanation, assuming that that should be enough for her to understand. Closing his eyes, his hands tucked casually in his pockets, Ulquiorra waited for a response. Everyone just gaped at him.

Urahara was the fastest to react, gazing at Ulquiorra from underneath his sun hat. "So am I correct in assuming that you are after Inoue-san's powers of rejection?"

"No," Ulquiorra replied sharply as he reopened his eyes, focusing on the one he knew as Urahara Kisuke, the creator of the Hyougoku. The black-haired man then shifted his gaze back to Orihime, whose eyes he found shining with something suspicious.

"Ulquiorra, you want me to be your valentine? Wow, it's a little early, but I'm so touched!" The young woman's eyes were sparkling, as Ulquiorra could only gaze at her in annoyance. He couldn't understand what she was talking about. "Wait, if you're giving me a valentine now, I should be getting you a gift for White Day soon! What kinds of chocolate do you like, Ulquiorra? I like the home-made kind with asparagus and chilli sauce on the inside! It's especially good if you –"

"Cease your idle banter immediately, woman. Your chatter is incomprehensible, but I am almost certain you misunderstood me." For some inconceivable reason, the woman looked like she was about to cry.

"So… You don't want me to be your valentine?" Orihime had to admit she was disappointed. She was looking forward to cooking chocolates for Ulquiorra. Looking up into Ulquiorra's eyes, she then wondered what exactly he wanted with her, then. "So, what exactly _did_ you mean, Ulquiorra?"

Ulquiorra didn't know how to answer this girl. Despite the hours he had spent trying to find an answer to that question, he had always drawn a blank. What _was_ it that he wanted with her? Why did her hair and eyes and face and words hold such a fascination for him? Perhaps the enchantress herself would know the answer.

"I don't know, woman. But, for some unfathomable reason, you hold my interest." Ulquiorra took a step towards the girl. Her gray eyes shone with such innocence. An impulse drove him to do what he had wanted to do from the moment he had first laid eyes on her. He removed his hand from his pocket.

"Get away from her!!" Ichigo shrieked, remembering his last encounter with the Espada. "Inoue, he's gonna– "

Raising his thin hand to Orihime's head, Ulquiorra took a loose strand of her hair between his fingers, eyeing it speculatively. It was softer than he had imagined it could be, and it shone a golden tint even in twilight's penumbra. In his reverie, he hadn't noticed that he had been leaning forward, his willowy figure towering over the smaller girl. Shifting his gaze, he found her eyes to be wide like saucers and her cheeks shaded a light crimson. Her mouth was slightly agape, her humid breath warming his neck. Ulquiorra had to hold back a smirk. _How strangely enjoyable it is seeing her react to me in such a way… _

"I find myself thinking about you, and your mere presence instigates odd reactions from me." Ulquiorra continued, looking into her eyes, as he twirled and twisted the strand of hair around in his fingers. He found it deeply amusing how each movement of his hands seemed to turn Orihime a darker shade of red. "Tell me, Inoue Orihime, why is that?"

Orihime looked up at Ulquiorra, absolutely stunned. His deep voice, smooth and alluring, had her completely mesmerized. Despite having listened intently to his every word, nothing had yet registered in her mind. Her every thought was scattered by his gentle musk scent and his emerald eyes that conveyed something his words could not.

That moment seemed to last forever. He, playing gently with her hair, enjoying how such a simple act on his part could affect her so. She, her cheeks flush, gray eyes unable to leave his green ones, as she stood so still she could swear she wasn't breathing. Neither heard the ear-splitting shouts of Ichigo, Uryuu and Rangiku. And they definitely didn't hear the hushed words Urahara was whispering into the ear of a certain wide-eyed cat-woman.

"Well, that's quite enough of that for now," Urahara's cheery voice exclaimed as he got behind Orihime, putting a hand on each of her shoulders and pulling her back towards him. As he leaned over the red-faced girl's shoulder, looking Ulquiorra straight in the eye, the shop owner took on a quieter, more serious tone.

"I believe that we two have matters to discuss."

"That is correct," was his cold, emotionless response.

The next moment, the two men were nowhere to be seen, leaving a dazed Orihime stumbling for balance.


	3. Autumn Princess Sanctuary

"I believe that we two have matters to discuss."

"That is correct," was his cold, emotionless response.

Urahara gave Ulquiorra a meaningful glance from beneath his striped hat, then shunpoed away at full speed. With one last look into the eyes of the woman before him, Ulquiorra let go of Orihime's hair and followed him with Sonido. Three seconds later, the two stopped in front of an old rundown hut with a giant sign above the entrance proclaiming "Urahara Shoten."

The store owner slid open the door, and with a big grin on his face, offered a welcoming gesture to the impassive former Espada behind him.

"Please come in, Arrancar-san."

Without a moment's hesitation, Ulquiorra glided through the dark threshold, knowing that things were going to go precisely as he had expected they would. Urahara followed him at a polite distance, checking for pursuers in the twilight-stained streets. He remained there for a moment, unreadable eyes taking on a melancholic look before he turned around and disappeared into the darkness of the store.

* * *

In a blink of an eye, both Ulquiorra and Urahara had vanished, leaving a dazed Orihime stumbling for balance. Her mind was a muddle, she was feeling light-headed, her eyes were unfocused, and she felt like her legs were about to give out. Had Ulquiorra leaked some of his reiatsu? She hadn't felt it, but how else could she explain how she was feeling right now?

Yoruichi caught the stunned girl by the forearms, steadying her before she could slump to the ground. Orihime's friends came running, surrounding her in a panic that only served to disorient the poor girl even more. Although Urahara had asked Yoruichi to take care of things over on this end, the fact the orange-haired teenager hadn't yet started breathing again didn't even register in the ebony-skinned woman's mind.

_He still hasn't given up on that ambition… Kisuke is undeniably the kind of man to take risks, but isn't his decision this time a little too ludicrous, even for him? _Yoruichi had known Urahara for a very long time, and knew that once he set his mind on something, he was as stubborn as a mule. Somehow, Yoruichi had just _known_ that he hadn't given up on this, his life's work, even after everything that has transpired.

_I suppose once a mad scientist, always a mad scientist…And if he succeeds…_ Yoruichi didn't want to think about it. The repercussions would be enormous; and she figured that, even if Urahara's premise was correct, the chance that this plan would backfire was about 99 percent. Pinning all his crazy dreams on something like _that_ of all things was much too dangerous. And if he thought Soul Society was angry at him over the Hyougoku…

"Inoue!! Hey Inoue, are you alright?" Orihime heard her name being called, and tried to focus on what was going on around her. She saw all her nakama crowding around her, obviously thinking that Ulquiorra had used one of his weird Hollow powers on her. A moment later, the red-faced girl was sitting down on a big rock, catching her breath. She realized that a lot of the Vizards and Captains, including Yamamoto, had already left, having better things to do than hang around wasting time. Orihime hoped that no one had gone to look for Ulquiorra yet.

Just then, the evening wind blew a lock of orange hair onto her face, and the gray-eyed young woman looked at it quizzically. _What could be so interesting about a normal strand of hair? What about it could hold Ulquiorra's attention like that? _

"Are you okay, Inoue? What did Ulquiorra do to you?" Rukia's calm voice made Orihime look up into her friend's concerned eyes. Orihime, now feeling back to normal, could only giggle at everyone's serious faces.

"Wha-" Uryuu tried to say, the confusion on everyone's faces reflected in the Quincy's tone.

"Sorry, sorry everyone!" Orihime put her arms up in front of her, giggling weakly as she tried to calm her friends down. "It's just that Ulquiorra's eyes are really intense! His whole presence is just… I can't explain it. But, he really shocked me, I guess. I'm feeling just fine now, though!" The grey-eyed girl remembered all the times her friends had needlessly worried over her, and she suddenly felt like life was back to normal. She was back in the world she belonged to, with the people she belonged with. Everything was going to be just as it used to be.

"I think that Inoue-san might be in shock," Ishida said matter-of-factly, pushing his glasses higher on the bridge of his nose. Addressing his comrades, the young Quincy continued: "We should get her somewhere safe to rest and then go find the Arrancar. If his target is Inoue-san, then he shouldn't have gone far."

"I can't sense his reiatsu anywhere. It'll be a helluva lot more trouble t'kill 'em if he's gone back to Hueco Mundo." Kenpachi strolled over, bored with the bitter and stale conversation between the remaining Captains and Vizards. Orihime tried to intervene, but was abruptly cut off.

"No, he didn't go back, I'm sure of it." Shinji declared in a bored tone. "Ya see, Urahara's reiatsu is gone too, so they must be together. Urahara's always cooking something up, and I don't trust 'em to keep that Arrancar away from Orihime-chan, so I say we just search 'em out an' kill the perverted sicko."

"I don't think that the Espada has gone back either," Toushiro offered, his arms crossed over his chest. "But even if he has, he'll be back. If what the Arrancar says is true, and he was using Aizen, then he is an expert manipulator. He must have some kind of plan to capture Orihime, so he might be waiting for us to drop our guard and leave her alone."

"Well he'll have to go through me first. He's only the Forth Espada, I'm sure I can take him." Ichigo's vow was followed by sounds of agreement from all of Orihime's friends, who could not bear the thought of having her in harm's way again. The orange-haired boy gave an assuring nod to Orihime, who was growing more and more horrified by the second.

More and more people were coming, talking about the best approach to take to kill Ulquiorra. Of all her nakama, the shinigami elites, and the Vizards who had joined the discussion, not _one _person considered leaving him be? Orihime raised her voice, but was again cut off.

"We should begin scouring the area for the Arrancar immediately." Uryuu was very protective of his only female friend, and was still feeling useless after he was unable to defeat even the Eighth Espada by himself. _This time, I will definitely protect you, Inoue-san…_

"Oh, Ishida-kun, you don't need-" The distressed Orihime hopped off the boulder, trying to shove her way into the conversation. The grey-eyed woman was tired of not being heard. She had just finished spending a week in Las Noches and was the catalyst that had set this war into motion well before winter, and yet no one would even listen to what she had to say? And, just a minute ago, everyone had listened so carefully to what Ulquiorra was saying! Why couldn't she command attention like he could? Orihime tried one more time, raising her voice, tugging on her friends' shirts, but as everyone was deep in their own thoughts, no one paid the girl heed.

"Maybe we should bring Orihime-chan to Soul Society," Rangiku suggested. "She will be better protected there. Just until the Arrancar is killed."

Orihime, totally frustrated, gave up on trying to get her friends' attention. The redhead walked away from the discussion, breathing deeply to get some air and clear her head. She knew that everyone was especially concerned about her because of her being abducted, but she wished that they would just _listen_ to her for a minute. Even though people would always call her the sunshine of the group, when it came to important things, everyone always ignored her. Although she could never bring herself to admit it to herself, she knew that her friends saw her as someone who was too innocent and naïve to be part of these vital discussions. Although they valued her immensely as a friend, they did not think much of her as a warrior and strategist.

She sometimes felt like this condescending streak meant that they didn't really consider her part of the group. She knew that that was unfair though, because no one could be innocent or naïve after spending a week in Las Noches. There were things that happened there that she would never be able to forget…

But that didn't matter right now. She was safe, her nakama were safe, the world was safe. She would let her haunting memories come back for her later, but for now she had to know that Ulquiorra would be alright. If only she could get through to her friends! Her opinions mattered too, didn't they? The redhead wanted to be heard, because then everyone would know that Ulquiorra was not like the other Arrancar, that he could control himself. He wasn't just some mindless killing machine that thrived on conflict, he was a living, breathing, sentient being. He deserved better than this.

Orihime could even go so far as to say that Ulquiorra was _nice_ (sometimes, at least). Looking down at the dress she was wearing at the moment, she remembered how he had said it suited her. Saying something so normal out of the blue like that had made her forget for a minute where she was. For a moment, she was the happy, bubbly Orihime that she thought had died the moment she had put on that bracelet. It had felt good, she had needed that.

_How weird, after he said something so nice, he started saying really mean things… And he did the same thing today, when he said he wouldn't be my valentine… Maybe my reactions surprised him? From the way I was acting in Hueco Mundo, I guess anyone would think that I was one of those constantly-depressed people…And Ulquiorra doesn't seem like the kind of person to like being surprised…_

Strolling away from the group, Orihime let the sounds of the wind blowing through the trees drown out the voices of her comrades. The foliage was now dyed a deep red, and had begun to fall, dancing with the night breeze. Gazing upon the beautiful scenery, shaded crimson leaves tainted by the setting sun, Orihime remembered that autumn used to be her favourite season when she was a little girl. She used to love to play in the leaves. The young girl would pile the leaves up all around her and pretend that she was a princess in a castle, someone that everyone loved and respected. Orihime was the fair and just ruler of her own little world. This was her escape from all the scarring memories of being teased and bullied.

If she were a real princess, she thought, she would be strong enough to protect everyone. No one would be hated because they were different. No one would be teased because of their hair colour, or height, or race. And Princess Orihime would even be able to protect her enemies, because even though they teased her, and bullied her, made her cry, made her bleed, she knew that they were suffering just as much as she was.

Immersed in this memory of her childhood, Orihime remembered that she hadn't once played in the leaves since she met Tatsuki-chan. She had made Tatsuki her protector; since then she had relied only on her. Her best friend protected her when she was helpless and healed her when she was broken. Tatsuki-chan was her safe zone, her castle incarnate.

The redhead turned around on her heels, heading back to where her nakama were. By now, tears had clouded Orihime's eyes, but her heart was determinedly steady. Now, Orihime realized, things were different. She had strength now, even if it was just a little bit. Inoue Orihime didn't need to be protected, she didn't need to be shielded from the world anymore. Tatsuki had made her strong, and her compassion had made her resolute. She had the power to protect someone, and she was going to use it.

Orihime may not be a real princess, but, she realized now, she could be somebody's castle. She could protect the helpless and she could heal the wounded, just like Tatsuki-chan could. That big heart could even protect her enemies, like Ulquiorra, who had tormented her time and time again. She had found the strength to show compassion to her aggressors in Las Noches, so why not here? Surely the strength that she had found in Hueco Mundo had not vanished like the fading dusk sky above her.

The fact was that Orihime had discovered something about herself in that desolate world, and even though the last seven days were by far the loneliest, most painful and most terrifying of her entire life, the experience had taught her to be strong in the face of adversity. She was not going to forget anything, the pain, the sadness, or the strength she found, even as she returned to her normal life on Earth. Orihime knew that she was going to have to face the horror of those memories soon, but now was the time to find her strength again and to speak out for something she believed in. She had to be strong, because there was no one else out there that could protect Ulquiorra. Orihime's pace quickened. She would be his castle. She _would_ protect him.

"Alright everybody, listen up!" It was Yoruichi's voice, shouting over the coalition of fighters, who had begun to assemble themselves into search-and-destroy parties. She stood atop the large rock that Orihime had been sitting upon earlier, her stance strong and confident. The commanding tone of the lithe woman caught everybody's attention, including Orihime's. "This is how it's going to be. The Arrancar Ulquiorra wants to stay in the human world. Urahara Kisuke and I have concluded from what we have seen today that Ulquiorra is not a threat to the safety of Orihime or anyone else. Because of this, we will be allowing him to stay in the material world under our watchful eyes." Yoruichi's expression softened as her gaze fell upon Orihime, who was looking up at her with troubled eyes. "I believe that this is what Orihime wants as well."

Yoruichi finished with a broad smile, still looking directly at Orihime. Yoruichi's audience didn't spare the white-robed girl a passing glance, as they adamantly rejected Yoruichi's decision. They enumerated, in a wide spectrum of enraged tones, every reason under the sun for Ulquiorra to be found and killed immediately. But the suspicious fighters had to wonder what Yoruichi and Urahara wanted with the Arrancar. Whatever it was, the Captains and Vizards knew, it couldn't be good. None, however, were dumb enough to voice their concerns on _that_ matter.

Yoruichi just stood there confidently, undaunted by her opposition. She shot down everyone's complaints, saying that she and Urahara would be taking care of everything. It was difficult for her to convince them that it was safe to return home, but, thanks to her sheer confidence and force of character, she eventually did. The sky now reflected just the faintest trace of the sun, and a beautiful crescent moon now hung high in the sky.

The moment the last Captain had stepped through the gate, and the original invaders of Hueco Mundo were finally able to accord their full attention to Orihime. The white-clad woman's head was down, and much of her face couldn't be seen through her bright orange bangs.

"Come on, Inoue," Ichigo said in a gentle tone, looking down at her kindly. "I'll bring you home."

When Orihime didn't react, Ichigo could only assume that she was worried that Ulquiorra was going to come back for her. The substitute shinigami could understand that she'd be scarred by that experience; he could imagine how difficult it must be for the fragile girl to be under the heel of that heartless man. Ulquiorra was a cold, malicious bastard, who could inflict pain without hesitation. Ichigo, being the open-minded, tolerant person he was, would never categorize the Arrancar as monsters, esspecially since he caught a glimpse of the loneliness buried within Grimmjow. With Ulquiorra, however, he had to make exception. Ulquiorra was a monster, and Ichigo couldn't even imagine the pain he put Orihime through. He would never forgive that Arrancar.

"Don't worry." Ichigo infused his voice with confidence, his brown eyes boring into her down-turned head. He would make sure that Orihime found her way out of this nightmare. "I will definitely protect you, and defeat Ulquiorra."

And then they all heard it; that distinct sound reached the ears of all of the woman's nakama. A sob. Rukia and Ichigo shared a worried glance, then Rukia stepped forward, between Ichigo and Orihime. The black-haired shinigami put her hand on her friend's shoulder, and, ever so slowly, Orihime raised her head. That beautiful face, usually vibrant and bright, seemed hollow in the pale moonlight. Tears ran down her face like rivers in the moonlight, flowing silently yet continuously. They left bitter trails, not just straight down her face, like Ulquiorra's tear marks, but all over her cheeks and jaw and nose. No one had noticed before, because she was careful not to be heard, but the tears accumulating in Orihime's eyes had spilled over long ago. Of course, all of her friends reached over to comfort her, but that only brought more tears.

Brushing past her nakama, Orihime ghosted towards Yoruichi, who was now at ground level, reclined against the boulder as her face carried a serious expression. Bowing deeply, the white-clad young woman uttered only a single phrase with her trembling voice:

"Thank you, Yoruichi-san."

The next moment, without waiting for a reply, Orihime ran away through the quiet deserted park, towards her apartment. Rukia, heavily concerned, tried to follow her, but was stopped by Yoruichi.

"There is nothing you can do," Yoruichi's tone was serious, but didn't hold the edge it had when she was talking to the captains. "There are some demons she must face on her own."

Orihime's friends, although concerned, understood. They each solemnly made their way home, immersed in their own thoughts.

Orihime ran as fast as she could down the dark streets. The streetlamps, although illuminating her path, did nothing to scare away the memories that were playing before her eyes. She knew that this was going to happen, that this was inevitable. She had been dead, and now she was supposed to be alive again. Even though she was free, the redhead felt like she was sinking down to the dark bottom of the ocean.

She didn't want to be like this, not when she was finally free, but so many thoughts were plaguing her, demons that took shape only when she closed her eyes. Orihime was weak. Orihime was useless. She had been having a lot of trouble suppressing those thoughts ever since she came back from Soul Society. When the Arrancar saga began, it only became worse. And even though she fought against her powerlessness, training in Soul Society as if her life depended on it, in the end she couldn't protect herself, let alone her comrades. She was so useless.

That's why, even though she was already sick of herself, feeling ashamed and guilty for being a burden, she found some odd pleasure in being needed by Aizen. And this terrified her. She shouldn't be happy, that the _enemy_ thought that she was useful; the whole point of being useful was to be able to help her nakama. But that little boost in her self-esteem inspired in her the confidence to use that power Aizen so desired against him. Orihime vowed to reject the Hyougoku's existence.

Of course, that plan had fallen through, and no one even knew where the Hyougoku was now, but the grey-eyed girl truly thought that she would be able to change once she returned to the material world. She had been so strong in Las Noches. Not once had she shed a tear in front of the enemy, nor did her knees buckle under their awesome reiatsu. The orange-haired captive didn't let her face reveal her traitorous thoughts to Ulquiorra. When it came to the honour of her friends, she stood up to her cold-eyed captor, even though she knew he could kill her in a second. She didn't let Loly and Menoly have the satisfaction of seeing her in pain; her eyes remained steady as she offered no resistance. The teenager didn't even shake when confronted with Hueco Mundo's number one loose-canon psychopath. She didn't let Grimmjow see any fear in her eyes, even as she felt it pounding in her ears.

Orihime had counted herself as dead the moment Ulquiorra had shown up on her way back to Earth. Despite her complete rejection of the term, she had become a martyr, because only people who didn't have the strength to fight back became martyrs. In Las Noches, Orihime had come to terms with the inevitability of her death, so there was no need to feel concerned over her own life. Without her sense of self-preservation to get in the way, she could be the strong, confident person she always wanted to be. But this was on the good days, when she managed to emulate the world around her and turn her soul to ice.

Night had fallen and the sky had clouded over before Orihime could get home. The dark storm clouds had come out of nowhere; it looked like there would be a hurricane. The black night was broken only by the young girl's pants, and the occasional sob as she continued to run. It began to rain.

Here she was, a soul she tried to make as icy as Ulquiorra's, just because she thought it was the only way to stop the tears. In Hueco Mundo, tears meant weakness, and weakness meant death. And in those seven days in that horrid place, deep beneath the strength she projected in her actions, Orihime's heart was much more turbulent. The tortured girl phased between trying to rid herself of all those tears, and embracing them as the only thing she had left. And, all the while, Ulquiorra was there, his existence a microcosm of this fortress in which she was a prisoner. His pale green tear marks were at a time mocking her weakness and reaching out to her in sympathy. She wasn't sure if she loved him like she would the love of her life, or hated him like she hated her own pitiful self. Orihime was convinced she was losing her mind.

Her shaking hands, still bearing that cursed white fabric that clung to her skin like a leech, reached for the doorknob, only to find that the door was locked. Of course. Of course the door would be locked, her apartment was empty. She was alone here. And her keys were taken away by Ulquiorra along with her old cloths. She leaned forward, her forehead resting against the door in front of her.

Now that she was 'rescued,' what was she, this Inoue Orihime? She should have died, she knows, but she still walks among the living. The living, breathing people who have hopes and dreams and feelings, all of which she tried so desperately to throw away. Strong on the outside, yet so weak on the inside. An empty contradiction in this world of wholes. Why in the _world_ would she belong _here_?

Bending down on trembling knees, Orihime pulled out the extra set of keys from underneath the doormat. In the light of the first lightning bolt, the orange-haired girl shoved the key roughly into the keyhole, and swung the door open.

Without bothering to change out of her soaked and dirtied cloths, the grey-eyed girl collapsed onto her bed, feeling more miserable than she ever remembered feeling. As the tears continued to flow, Orihime realized that she had to get herself out of this. She couldn't be feeling so weak and frail and _useless_ for forever, or she would never be able to move on.

That night, Orihime cried her eyes out. She replayed her whole life in her mind over and over again, trying to find some purpose to it all. Her body aching from the cold, her head pounding from her headache, the redhead remembered what Ulquiorra had told her just a few hours prior, and she was almost certain she had imagined it. The last person who had said anything even remotely similar to that had been her brother, who had showered her in the love she now so desperately needed.

Ulquiorra had looked at her, really _looked_. She couldn't fathom why, but he seemed interested in her, as if her existence held some kind of vital importance for him. She had never seen him this way, unless she did, and she had just been too preoccupied by her own tumultuous emotions to take notice. Either way, she couldn't understand what he thought he saw in her, what worth she could possibly possess. But the possibility that someone, anyone, even Ulquiorra Schiffer, the Quatro Espada, could actually see something in her beyond the cheerful attitude and the big breasts was the only thing that gave Orihime the courage to face her shadows that night.

* * *

In the dead of night, Urahara Shoten was surrounded by the crackling of lightning and the rumbling of thunder. Hard rain pelted the thin roof as two men sat in silence.

"So, you were the one who kidnapped Orihime-san?" One of the men inquired quietly, while sipping his lukewarm tea. He received a dispassionate 'yes' in response.

"Because you were intrigued by her, correct?" Another 'yes.' "And so you say you are willing to do anything in order to be allowed to say in the human world with Orihime-san?" A pregnant pause came down on the two.

"Urahara Kisuke," Ulquiorra began carefully. "You desire this as much as I do. I am aware of the true extent of your plans." Ulquiorra sounded the words detachedly, anticipating the look of shock that broke onto Urahara's face. Ulquiorra, despite being monotone most of the time, conveyed an air of no-nonsense that was enough to convince Urahara that he was serious.

"Did… Aizen know of those plans?" Urahara had to try very hard to keep his cool. Urahara understood exactly what plans Ulquiorra was referring to, and they were of the utmost confidentiality. Although he had been pursuing this ambition for the last century, he had never put into writing any of his ideas. Only he and Yoruichi were supposed to know… so how could Aizen, let alone one of his pawns, possibly know?

"No. He believed that the Hyougoku was the extent of your capabilities, or else he would have waited for you to finish your research before setting his plan into motion. Only I know of your intentions." Piercing emerald eyes gazed into the solemn eyes of the man in front of him. He knew that what he was doing was reckless, that revealing to this man just how much he knew was tantamount to death. But this was the only card Ulquiorra had left to play.

"You have never been able to experiment on an arrancar. My body will very likely be able to provide you with data vital to your research. I will reveal to no one the nature of your plans, nor will I oppose your will in any way. You may do to me as you wish to further your ambitions. What I ask in return is to be able to stay in the human world with Inoue Orihime." No matter how much pain Ulquiorra would be made to endure, it would be worth it if he could be by her side. To him, the choice was obvious.

Urahara looked back at the man in front of him from under his sun hat. _What determination… He's saying he's giving himself to me to do with as I please. He doesn't care about the pain, so long as he can stay with Orihime-san… I believe I have made the right decision…_

The store owner leaned over the small table between himself and his guest and plucked a hair right off the Arrancar's head. Ignoring Ulquiorra's confused look, Urahara got up and strode over to the back room of the store, the single hair held daintily between his index finger and thumb. A moment later, as Ulquiorra was wondering just what in the world that was for, a voice called out to him from the back of the shop.

"Aren't you coming, Ulquiorra-san?" Urahara's chipper voice made the emerald-eyed arrancar cringe internally, but he nonetheless got up and followed the eccentric shop keeper into the back.

When he entered the back room, the sight that met his eyes was indeed astonishing. Looking down at the carbon copy of himself that was seated in a chair at the back of his room, Ulquiorra's initial astonishment soon morphed into suspicion. _Is this a gigai? No… that isn't possible. Gigai are made only for shinigami… How could Urahara Kisuke possibly have made one that can suit an Arrancar… _

"I was really hoping I could get an Arrancar to help me out around the shop, so I busied myself in the last few years with crafting this costume-made gigai made especially for Arrancar!" Urahara's voice beamed with satisfaction as he picked up the gigai by the arm and pinched the cheeks, sending a rare chill up Ulquiorra's spine. "But because I have Jinta and Ururu now, I don't really need another helper. So I'm giving you this gigai free of charge!

"Of course, there is no Hollow hole, nor is there your half-helmet," Urahara gestured grandly to each part of the fake body as he explained. "Your tattoo isn't here either, because it isn't part of your Absolute Soul. This prototype kept your tear marks, so if you want to fit in better in the human world, you can cover them up with makeup. You will need to eat human food, because the kilojoules you consume will be magnified and converted to spirit energy to keep you from dying of hunger or going on a killing spree…"

Ulquiorra's eyes hadn't left the naked copy of himself for an instant. He knew what a gigai was and how to use it, but it was odd seeing himself without a half-helmet on his head and a hole at the base of his throat.

"Well, go ahead," Ulquiorra could feel the genuine excitement resonating in Urahara's every word. "Try it out!"

Ulquiorra resolutely stepped into the gigai, bracing himself. The moment he was in, his reiatsu was sealed, and he felt drained of energy. Refusing to sit, even as his head spun, Ulquiorra caught the cloths that Urahara threw his way. They were simple black joggers, boxers, and a black shirt. Despite having worn only white for so many years, Ulquiorra adapted quickly to the symbolic change. His identity never really meant much to him, anyway.

"Yoruichi has taken care of everything, so you don't have to worry about Soul Society for now. She is now making other arrangements for you," Urahara was speaking as if he was a principal going through an orientation seminar. His tone abruptly became mischievous as he watched Ulquiorra dressing. "Oh, yes, and allow me to compliment you on being _well endowed_. I'm sure that you and Orihime-san will be very happy."

The pallid arrancar's gaze, while empty, conveyed exactly how retarded Ulquiorra thought Urahara was. Was this one going to be saying the same kind of nonsense that Nnoitora would always spew? Ulquiorra hoped not, because even though he didn't understand it half the time (only because he made a conscious effort _not_ to understand it), it still made his insides burn with an unfamiliar feeling. He had enough of those irrational impulses while in the woman's presence, so he wasn't going to be putting up with that when he was away from her wretched existence.

But despite Ulquiorra's unfriendly attitude, he was pleased that things had worked out much better than he had expected. For Urahara to not make use of Ulquiorra's presence in the human world was surprising, especially knowing how much he sought to achieve his goal. Ulquiorra had been certain that he would have to endure countless hours of organ inspection and such, but all it would seem that he would have to do is put up with the shop owner's foolish antics. Urahara followed the arrancar to the door, and waved in an exaggerated motion as he stepped outside.

Stepping out into the rain and cold of the autumn midnight, Ulquiorra silently took a second to find the woman's reiatsu. It wasn't far, but it would take him a while by foot to reach where she was. Ulquiorra walked into the stormy night, refusing the raincoat and umbrella Urahara offered him.

Once Ulquiorra was out of earshot, Yoruichi appeared on the porch of the store, beside Urahara. Both their eyes were heavy; it had been a long day. Without turning her head, the purple-eyed woman spoke to her long-time friend, sitting in his gloom upon the stairs of the veranda.

"Are you sure that this is a good idea, Kisuke?" Doubt was evident in her tone. She had just come back from checking on Orihime. She was already asleep, but tears still stained her cheeks and her pillow. Yoruichi knew that this would be hard for the young girl. _And having her former captor here might make reintegration even harder for her…_

"I'm sure. More than ever." Urahara's tone was definite, despite the weariness in his voice. His eyes once again turned sorrowful as he paused a long moment. "This is the least I can do for Orihime-san… after what I made her go through there. I think that he can make her happy."

Yoruichi just closed her tired eyes, hoping with all her heart that the man beside her was right.

* * *

When Ulquiorra arrived at Orihime's apartment, he found the door not just unlocked, but left ajar. Frustrated over the woman's carelessness, he shoved his way inside, fully intending to lecture her on how she was not to partake in destructive or detrimental behaviour, intentional or not, so long as she belonged to him.

Closing the front door and locking it behind him, Ulquiorra made his way over to Orihime's room. He found her still fully dressed, white robes stained with dirty water and mud splatters, her hair sprawled all around her in a chaotic mess. Her legs were hanging off the edge of her bed, as if it were all she could do just to make it to her bedroom. Unsure whether he should awaken her or wait for tomorrow to scold her, the black and white figure approached the bed of the sleeping woman. His quick green eyes, still as piercing as ever, noticed how she had somehow managed to soak her face, pillow, sheets and comforter in tears.

Ulquiorra let confusion reach his eyes as he kneeled down next to the low bed. _She was so courageous just a couple of hours ago, how is it that she could collapse into such a wreck so quickly?_ Ulquiorra let one of his hands lightly graze the woman's damp cheek. It was soft, just like her hair. Everything about her was softness. He felt her hair once more, amazed at how good it felt. There was no denying it anymore, he knew it felt good. He liked this feeling. Almost ashamed, he realized he never wanted it to end.

Gently, more gently than he thought himself capable, Ulquiorra's long pale fingers unclenched Orihime's hands from the comforter she held in a death grip. Carefully, he lifted her petite frame from its uncomfortable position, his left hand under her knees and his right hand supporting her small back. He set her on her back in the center of her small bed, softly brushing away stray hairs from her angelic face. The girl promptly shivered under his touch. Figuring she must be cold, Ulquiorra wrapped the comforter around the young girl.

The redhead sighed in content, her tense brow relaxing somewhat. For some unfathomable reason, Ulquiorra felt a burst of pride. Sitting back down next to the girl's sleeping form, the former Espada once again had to marvel at how much of an effect the girl had on him, to make him feel such an alien emotion. When he had twirled her hair, her blush had so nearly turned him mad. Her face was so beautiful already, and somehow that pooling of blood was enough for Ulquiorra to confirm that Inoue Orihime was indeed the most beautiful person he had ever seen. Not that he usually cared about aesthetic countenances, no, they were usually the farthest thing from his mind.

But it was enchanting how the woman could blush so deeply because of _him_. Him and only him. Ulquiorra, who had always lived in the background, was not used to this. He felt like he had made progress today, because being able to make that woman blush had brought a deep surge of satisfaction into the usually impassive arrancar.

He wanted to see all of her. Every face, every emotion this human had to show, every word this woman had to offer. He wanted to see it all, to feel it all, as absurd as it sounded. And he didn't want her to blush for anyone but him.

This was the last thought that lingered in Ulquiorra's mind before he drifted into unconsciousness, leaning over the woman's bed.


	4. Emerald Green Sunrise

The next day was an uncharacteristically warm autumn day. The tempest had passed, and warm yellow sunshine was streaming through Orihime's bedroom window. Its welcoming rays reached the sleeping girl underneath as she slept peacefully. Her chest, inclined towards the sunlight, rose and fell in a slow equilibrium as the orange-haired girl breathed deeply in and out. At some point during the long night, Orihime's heart had found tranquillity.

The heart-shaped face, while still pale from lack of sun and sleep, held a warmth about it entirely different from the golden beams in which she was basking. At the moment, Orihime was having a beautiful dream, nicer than any dream she had had in months.

She was walking down a forest trail, surrounded by deep green fir trees with deep mahogany trunks. Birds chirped happily, singing stories of love and life to the bewildered girl. At her feet, rich thick undergrowth was growing wildly, coiling around randomly. The heart of the earth was emanating from everywhere, so tangible that the orange-haired girl could almost see the faeries that were dancing all around her. The green arabesque of the underbrush was decorated with raspberries, blackberries, blueberries. She even saw a very pretty strawberry bush, and she stopped to taste one of the juicy pink fruits. It was sweet, but she would not linger at this place. The orange-haired girl continued on, lured by the sunlight filtering through the foliage. It was such an enchanting emerald colour when it was warmed by the sunshine…

The redhead, following the sun, found herself stepping out of the forest into a meadow. The scenery was breathtaking. Among the tall green grass before her, there grew long innocent white flowers, reaching towards a deep indigo sky. Farther ahead, Orihime could see patches of wildflowers of all colours blooming, and, among them, a figure all in white. Gazing at the back of the slim figure, as if in a trance, Orihime recited, as if the words surfaced from the most ancient part of her soul, "this is the eternal ruler." The figure, although dressed all in white, was the source of a dark aura. His regal stature was unmovable as a mountain, holding a king's graceful dignity. Only his hair stirred, ruffled by the tender Zephyr. In this realm of life and light, he was the one shadow, and yet his dark beauty outshone even the most remarkable of flowers.

Suddenly, without warning, the king turned his head towards the enchanted woman, his striking emerald eyes overwhelming even from a distance. They were cold as stone and yet as deep as the ocean. The spellbound woman watched him as he bent down and picked something off the ground. Raising himself back up to full height, he held up in her direction a large indigo anemone. The wildflower was beautiful, the most beautiful she had ever seen, but it could not keep her attention for long. The king's emerald eyes returned to hers, smouldering her, instructing her silently to come retrieve his offering. Without knowing why, Orihime started walking towards the white figure, his eyes her whole world. She kept walking, ever closer, ever closer. But right when the figure was within reach, the deep indigo anemone just a few paces away, the redhead was nudged from her sleep.

Immediately, the scenery of her dream dissolves before her eyes, and a deep sense of disappointment permeates her subconscious. She doesn't want to leave this place, not yet… She won't let go, she will return…

* * *

Back in reality, the doorbell rang again. Whoever it was, they were getting impatient. Emerald green eyes, feeling the sensation of grogginess for the first time ever, opened to see Orihime sleeping comfortably before him, peach face glowing in the dawn sunlight. The annoyed Ulquiorra had been roused from his sleep, slightly perplexed as to how he had ended up at the foot of the woman's bed. His weak human body was aching from the position, and he was experiencing several odd phenomena that his recollections could not account for. Further aggravating him, somehow, during the night, he and the woman had ended up hand in hand. Although the hand was soft (_delicate, warm…_), expressions of sentimentality would only be allowed to spur revulsion in the distant Arrancar.

Once again, the screeching sound of the doorbell reached Ulquiorra's ears. Inexplicably annoyed, he tore his hand out of Orihime's and made his way to the door. The former Espada was not in a good mood today, so unless the trash at the door had a damn good excuse for rousing him from his sleep, they were about to die. And then Ulquiorra was going to go back to 'sleep,' because that seemingly useless human activity was, for some reason, now desperately desired.

Without even bothering to straighten his cloths, the pallid arrancar swung open the door. Dark emerald eyes focused on a slender, panting, black-haired woman who looked at him with shock in her eyes. How easily he could read her every emotion. _This is the woman's friend, the trash she was trying to protect when we first met… She did not run from us, therefore she could not sense our reiatsu. She is not connected with Soul Society, so she is unaware as to why I would be here…_

"Who are you?" Tatsuki demanded, her voice as firm as her navy blue eyes, even when faced with Ulquiorra's intimidating stature, "and what are you doing here?" Ulquiorra just glared at her, wondering if Orihime would hate him very much if he killed this girl. He didn't want her to hate him; she was so much more beautiful when her delicate face shone with a happy expression…

"I asked you a question," the distressed girl raised her voice, approaching the distracted Arrancar. _I've never seen this guy before. What the hell is he doing at Orihime's place? I can finally sense her presence after a week, and I find this freak in her apartment? What's going on?_

"My name is Ulquiorra Schiffer. You are a friend of Inoue Orihime's, correct?" Ulquiorra, shaken out of one of his increasingly frequent dazes, looked down at the wary girl before him with dark piercing eyes. The girl was obviously desperate to see Orihime. They must have been close. Quelling his irritation, Ulquiorra decided he wouldn't kill her. Such an act would probably result in being killed by the shinigami, and, more importantly, being despised by the woman.

"Yes, I am. And I want to see her. Move out of the way." The girl in the school uniform was bold, Ulquiorra could give her that much. He held his stance at the door, his hands in the pockets of his black joggers.

"No. The woman is sleeping. Return from whence you came." Ulquiorra still did not want to deal with trash so early in the morning. The Arrancar's unmovable eyes were met with the enraged ones of the fierce woman before him.

"She is my nakama, and she has been missing for a month and a half. I need to see her _now_." Angry now, Tatsuki grabbed a fist full of Ulquiorra's black shirt. "Get out of the way or I'll make you!"

As stoically as ever, the former Espada pulled his right hand out of his pocket, and raised it to his collar. Grabbing a hold of her hand, he tightened his grip on her wrist, not tightly enough to break it, but with enough pressure to leave a mark. As expected, the girl didn't back down. She tried to retract her hand, and when that failed, raised her other hand to her side to jab him in the gut. Striking as fast as she could, her right hand still in his grip, her punch didn't go through as he blocked her attack with his other hand.

It would seem that his incredible reiatsu, even while almost completely sealed by his gigai, was sufficient for him to easily deal with any human. The girl before him was obviously skilled, but she was powerless against him, even in this form.

Eyes still impassive, thin pale hands holding onto Tatsuki's wrists, Ulquiorra lowered his hands to belt level, easily pulling the girl's upper body down to bow before him. Her dark blue eyes burned with hatred. _This one is proving to be quite an annoyance…_

"Nakama? If you were the woman's 'nakama,' you would know exactly who I am and why I am here." Ulquiorra looked down on the woman in his grasp with a cold stare. Her expression, while still enraged, betrayed her pain. He had struck a nerve.

"No, her 'nakama' are Kurosaki Ichigo, Sado Yasutora, Ishida Uryuu, and Kuchiki Rukia. You have no part in any of her affaires." With these words, Ulquiorra released his hold on Tatsuki's wrists, shoving her back away from the door. Her wrists were already beginning to bruise, but her eyes were clouded with rage.

"You – Bastard!" The trash shouted, as she lunged towards Ulquiorra with one of her signature karate moves. Right before her kick could reach the unmoving man with green tear marks, two hands behind her pulled her back by her shoulders. Tatsuki couldn't believe her eyes as she turned around and saw the sandal hat guy, a duffle bag over his shoulder, holding her back.

Ulquiorra, wondering if the girl's cry had awakened Orihime, was hardly paying the girl in front of him, or the shop keeper, any attention. Uninterested in the situation, and anxious to get back to Orihime's bedroom, Ulquiorra casually walked back inside and closed the door behind him. He would deal with Urahara later.

"My, my," Urahara sang with mock astonishment, his hat, as always, shading his eyes. "You two wouldn't happen to be quarrelling so early in the morning, would you? The sun has barely risen!"

"Ah, Urahara-san, let me go!" Tatsuki had only met the shop owner once, when she had sneaked into his store, but had figured that he was one of the good guys. Why was he letting this creep (with a crumpled up shirt! And _makeup_!) stay overnight with Orihime? What had happened in the last month and a half that she was missing out on?

"Arisawa-san, you shouldn't act aggressively until you know all the facts," Urahara lectured with a wag of his finger. "This is Ulquiorra-san, he is a friend of Orihime-san's."

Tatsuki could not see how someone like the man she had just met, with distant dark eyes, make-up on his face and black nail polish, could be a friend of Orihime's. This guy was exactly the kind of cold, dangerous guy that Orihime would usually avoid. She couldn't have changed so much in her absence… could she?

"Do you remember what I told you a week ago, when you sneaked into my store? When you saw Kurosaki-san going through my portal, I told you that they were going to go rescue Orihime-san." Urahara, mouth shielded behind a cheap paper fan, had now let go of the Tatsuki's shoulders and was facing her. "Ulquiorra-san was the one she was being rescued from, but now they're friends, and he's on special permission to be here, so let's not ruin it for him by getting him into trouble, okay?" The shop owner ended with a bright grin and a light tone.

Flabbergasted, Tatsuki turned angrily towards Ulquiorra's direction, fully intending to smack his face in. He had kidnapped Orihime, and that was all the girl's protector needed to know. However, as she turned around, she saw that Ulquiorra was gone, and the door to the apartment closed. Enraged, she was just about to kick the door down when Urahara once again interceded.

"I understand that it's hard to absorb, Arisawa-san," his voice was kind, this was still his mistake to deal with, after all. Ulquiorra was lucky that Urahara had come himself to deliver his surprise. "Orihime-san is safe now, the danger has passed. Kurosaki-san's back, so I suggest you ask him about all of the details. Orihime-san needs a little space, and Ulquiorra-san will be able to help her."

"What do you mean, he'll be able to help her?" Lowering her fists, Tatsuki allowed the shop keeper to explain.

And what he had to say almost made the trained fighter faint with shock.

* * *

Closing the door silently behind him, Ulquiorra made his way to Orihime's bedroom. Whatever nonsense Urahara wanted with him could wait until later. The emerald-eyed former Espada figured it had something to do with integrating him into the human world, and Ulquiorra was having his misgivings. This was the first time that Ulquiorra regretted having little to no knowledge of current human society, having lived in Hueco Mundo for the last couple of decades.

In the daylight, Ulquiorra now noticed many things about his new abode. Firstly, it was very colourful. Extremely colourful, especially compared to Las Noches. The brightness of the yellow walls and the living room in general assaulted his senses. _It is no wonder that the woman had trouble coping in Las Noches…_

Coolly analyzing everything in the apartment from where he stood in the middle of the living room, Ulquiorra realized that the couch was too small for him to sleep on. Orihime might fit, but he immediately rejected the idea of making her sleep on the navy couch just so that he could have the bed. For some reason, the idea of making her uncomfortable disturbed him. _How odd, just a few days ago I found pleasure in her distress…_

Striding into the bedroom, the sight meeting Ulquiorra's eyes was awe-inspiring. The already warm face of the orange-haired girl was kissed by the warm yellow rays of the morning sun, innocence and inner peace in her relaxed brow and slightly-parted strawberry lips. Orihime's position on the bed beneath the shining window, white cape cascading down the side, reminded of an angelic Snow White. Her fiery hair was sprawled all around her head in a halo of flames, and stood out in stark contrast to her sky blue sheets and pillow. Only half covered by the deep blue comforter, the sleeping woman's alluring figure was hinted at from underneath her tight-fitting white robes.

Ulquiorra stood looking down at his woman from her bedside, swift eyes taking in all that was her. Seeing her breath so deeply, after what he knew must have been a hard night for her, brought on a strange sense of relief in the black-haired Arrancar. He knew that he had put her through a lot of trauma while she was in his care, and some obscure part of him made him feel glad that she hadn't been permanently scarred. _She seems to have recovered completely after just one night… She is truly a strong woman…_

Silently, ever silently, the emerald-eyed teenager sat beside his former charge on the bed. She stirred gently, but was still in a light sleep. _I will have to be careful if I am not to wake her…_

A slender pallid hand wove its way into Orihime's bright orange hair. Ulquiorra couldn't get over it; her hair was softer than silk. The woman's fiery tresses felt so good in his hands.

Remembering the previous night, the stoic former Espada brought his other hand up to touch her sun-kissed cheeks with his fingertips. Her cheeks, too, were impossibly soft, like pink cashmere. The orange-haired woman shuddered under the soldier's touch, and lifted her head towards his hand. Realizing what the girl wanted, Ulquiorra pressed his palm against her cheek, cupping her delicate face in his pale hand.

A blush crept onto the girl's face as she sighed deeply. Ulquiorra enjoyed the thought that she was enjoying this almost as much as he was. He leaned forward on the cramped bed to get a better look at her. Although she was still semi-conscious, her expressive heart-shaped face betrayed her excitement. The green-eyed man moved his hand from her cheek, brushing her delicate jaw, her clear forehead, her small nose. He even followed the shape of her ear softly with his fingertip, inciting from her the softest of gasps.

Approaching her face even more, now completely absorbed, he once again noticed the warmth emanating from Orihime's parted lips. The warmth was oddly inviting, and Ulquiorra was having trouble resisting the urge to touch those rosen lips. Raising his ashen hand, his fingernails black, even while in human form, the curious Arrancar gently touched her pink lips. To his surprise, the redhead's lips parted even more under his touch, and released a warm breath of air somewhere between a sigh and a moan. _How thoroughly enchanting…_

Intent on mapping out this woman's body, Ulquiorra enjoyed the sensation of her lips against his fingertips. Like everything else about her, they were so soft. He never thought he would enjoy something soft, always equating softness with weakness, but somehow this woman was able to make tenderness her strength. She was unlike anything Ulquiorra had ever seen. Never could another person keep his attention like this, nor inspire such foreign feelings in him; she was someone he couldn't get enough of. And the emerald-eyed Arrancar was sure that there would be much more to see.

"Ulquiorra…" Orihime murmured in a voice barely audible. Stunned, Ulquiorra considered escaping the room before she found him touching her in her sleep. From what little Ulquiorra knew of human social norms, that never goes over well. But the orange-haired girl just stirred slightly, her eyes still closed, and shifted her body closer to his.

_She is still asleep?_ He paused to gaze at her sleeping form._ The woman called my name in her sleep… Why is it that such a thought excites me?_ Ulquiorra had to marvel at his own emotions. Something as useless as her saying his name in her sleep brought him a surge of excitement. Such worthless emotions he thought would never surface in him, but she was proving him wrong. Inoue Orihime was infecting him, he knew, but despite the change being completely contrary to his nature, he found himself enjoying her presence more and more. He had already decided on this path and, as always, he would see it though to the end, whatever the consequences. For this reason, he would not reject this woman, or her detrimental effect on his concentration.

Ulquiorra had even begun to enjoy the feelings that came along with the woman's interference in his existence. The excitement, the pleasure, the satisfaction, the pride, emotions he would never admit to having, that would never be read on his face, but that surfaced in him at seemingly random times while in Orihime's presence. _Such an odd existence she is…_

Just then, Ulquiorra's quick mind detected that that trash that had disturbed his sleep was retreating. Realizing that he didn't have much time left before he would have to go address Urahara, Ulquiorra's usually calculated mind lapsed, and he acted on yet another reckless impulse. Hovering over the sleeping Orihime, Ulquiorra lowered his head, burying his face in her hair. Breathing her scent in deeply, indulging in the softness of her hair and her jaw, Ulquiorra traced the length of her neck with his thin nose. He had never felt anything like it; it was like he was immersed in her essence. Adding to his astonishment, the sleeping Orihime turned her head towards him, releasing a strangled sigh.

Ulquiorra never wanted to leave. Orihime smelt like wildflowers, so gentle and yet so free. The green-eyed man had no idea what he was doing with this angel, where these strange impulses were coming from, nor whether this was the reason that he had wanted her so badly, but he knew that he didn't want this feeling to end.

Despite Ulquiorra's distracted state of mind, the arrancar's keen senses easily picked up on Urahara's intrusion into the small apartment. Ulquiorra lifted himself up off of Orihime, and gazed down at her infuriatingly endearing frustrated and disappointed expression. _She doesn't want it to end, either…_

Rising to his feet, the slender teenager reluctantly left the room and the sleeping Orihime, her scent still lingering in his nostrils. Walking down the hall to the living room, he found Urahara carefully closing the front door. Turning to face the Arrancar, Urahara noticed Ulquiorra's slightly out-of-focused eyes, and opened his mouth to comment.

"What is in the bag?" Ulquiorra cut in quickly.

"Perceptive as usual, Ulquiorra-san," Urahara praised lightly, after a pause, letting the duffle bag drop to the floor. Under the gaze of piercing emerald eyes, the exiled shinigami just smiled widely, mischievousness etched into his every feature.

A few minutes later, the two men had left the small apartment.

* * *

"Awwww… Not again…"

The orange-haired teenager moaned longingly as she stretched in her bed, her white-clad arms folded above her head as she arched her back. She had had the nicest dream earlier that morning, and she had really not wanted to wake up without finishing it. So she had tried to get back to her dreamland, and had ended up having another really great dream. And now, just a few minutes ago, it too had ended half-way through. _The second dream was… a little different, though…_ Orihime blushed a deep pink. She had never felt that way before, and she had definitely never had _those_ kinds of dreams. It embarrassed her to remember…

Even though the second dream was… great… Orihime still wished she could have finished the first dream. Grey eyes turning towards the ceiling, Orihime figured, with an indignant huff, that she would never know how it ended. But she was already fully awake, so there was no point to staying in bed all day.

_Is today a school day? If it is, I can go and see Tatsuki-chan. It's been a month already! Wow, Tatsuki-chan must be really worried by now. And my nakama, they must be _really_ worried, especially after yesterday…_

Orihime stopped short. Yesterday? Yeah, she had been an emotional train wreck yesterday, and even though she was feeling better by the time she had fallen asleep, she couldn't understand why she was feeling genuinely _happy_ today. Why was she feeling so much better? Had she cried all her tears? Orihime sat up in bed.

She was so happy that she even had such a wonderful dream about… what? After a moment of thinking about it, her clear eyes raised in thought, the orange-haired woman smiled brightly and, lifting herself up, decided to make herself celery with ketchup and bacon bits for breakfast.

The redhead was ravenous. She tore off her dirty white Arrancar cloths and slipped on a bathrobe. After breakfast, she would take a long shower… no a bath! And then she'd go find her friends and tell them that everything was alright.

Making her way to the kitchen, Orihime couldn't stop thinking about her first dream. Not only was it a way to distract herself from another emotional crash, which she was warily anticipating, but for some reason, it felt to her like it was vitally important, as opposed to all her other dreams, which were all random nonsense. She remembered certain parts of this dream, but they didn't seem to go together at all…

_Life. She felt life all around her. It was a part of her; she, a part of it. It was like the universe's silent promise, expressed in that striking green, that her existence held meaning… _

Orihime knew that she still hadn't really worked through all her shadows, but for some reason it was really hard for her insecurities to weigh her down today. The mid-morning sun was shining so beautifully, bathing her small apartment in its warming rays.

Orihime fixed herself breakfast and began eating. Oh, how she had missed her food! The food at Las Noches was so bland…

_Faery. Although she couldn't see them, she knew they were there. She felt them playing all around her, like children chasing butterflies on a spring day... _

Finishing her meal, Orihime checked the date. It was a Tuesday. She made her way to the bathroom and began running the water. She still felt great, and she figured that by midday she would be ready to head over to school. How her nakama would be proud of her…

_Eternal ruler. A man who carried himself with dignity and grace. Orihime couldn't tell who he was or what he looked like, nor could she figure out the significance of seeing him there in her dream. Whoever he was, his countenance was oddly familiar to her. Had she dreamt of him before?_

Submerging herself in the warm water, Orihime sighed contently from the relaxing feeling that was seeping into her. Her body was sore from all the strain her muscles had been put through yesterday. It finally sank in that Aizen had been defeated, and the world was safe. Orihime smiled to herself. Even if it had been just a small part, she had helped bring him down, and that was what was important. And this time, those words weren't hollow.

_Zephyr. The gentle wind that caressed that man's hair, making it sway so beautifully. Such an ethereal existence he was…_

After her long bath, Orihime dried herself off thoroughly, taking her time. It was only 11 o'clock and she was anxious to see her friends, but it felt so good to relax for once. She got dressed in her school uniform, enjoying the nostalgia it brought. Some of her happiest times were when she was wearing that grey uniform. But, for some reason, it felt odd to the girl to be wearing something other than white.

_A dark beauty. He was the only figment that was dark in her entire dream, but he was also the most beautiful creation. He was solemn, deep. His eyes were sharp as daggers, and yet his gaze was so welcoming. He, too, was a contradiction…_

Orihime stepped out of her home, locking the door behind her. Her face glowing with a cheerful smile, she walked down the street towards her school. Her mind still on her dream, the orange-haired girl found it surprisingly easy to hold back her excitement at finally going back to school. Even after thinking about it the whole morning, she had only remembered certain random aspects.

Looking around, the grey-eyed woman absorbed her surroundings, gratitude swelling within her that she could see this wonderful world again. The almost-bare trees, the grass covered in red leaves, the people going about, there was just so much to be thankful for that even Orihime's huge heart couldn't hold it all at once. Looking up to the clear autumn sky, something important struck the redhead.

_Anemone… His offering, the beautiful indigo wildflower… _

_What is the meaning of all this?_

* * *

"You will find at the back of your new agenda all kinds of student service numbers… There are suicide prevention hotlines, you know, if you ever need to talk things over with someone. And there are bullying and parental abuse support groups, in case, well… Anyway, if there are any problems with the other students, you just come see me, OK?" The man finished, congratulating himself for having saved another one.

The teenager, who had seemed bored before, suddenly looked like his eyes could sear through solid iron. If looks could kill… The man behind the desk backed away in his chair.

_Perhaps I misunderstood the problem…_

* * *

"What the hell is taking Ichigo so long?" Ichigo had disappeared with Arisawa a couple of hours ago, and Rukia was obviously getting annoyed. Walking down the school corridors towards their next class, she broke the silence between herself, Uryuu and Yasutora. The purple-eyed girl was fuming rather visibly. _Wasn't he just supposed to be bringing her up to date?_

"Arisawa-san is Inoue-san's best friend. With what happened to Inoue-san, she'll want to know every detail from the very beginning." Uryuu was getting annoyed himself with the petite shinigami. So what if Kurosaki wasn't around? Uryuu was happy.

The group arrived early to class. Stepping in, the friends were met with a rather unexpected surprise.

The orange-haired, big-breasted beauty, in all her glory, was sitting at her usual seat, her nose in a thick book. Her grey-eyes, only the day before filled with unspeakable pain and sadness, were now intent as they skimmed the pages of the large volume before her, flipping pages vigorously. Once the trio recovered from sheer shock, they dashed towards their dear friend.

"Inoue-san, wha-what are you doing here?" Uryuu managed to pronounce, fumbling on the words.

"Eva, Fay, Erica, Zephie, Layla, and Anemone." Orihime muttered after a pause. She then closed the book shut with a clack, and looked up to the ceiling, her eyes sparkling.

"Wha-" Catching her friends' gaping expressions, Orihime got up energetically, clasped her hands behind her back and repeated herself.

"Eva, Fay, Erica, Zephie, Layla, and Anemone." Satisfaction coated every word as the orange-haired girl smiled impossibly brightly, further stunning her friends. "It's perfect!"

Just as Rukia was about to ask a question, her mouth open and her pointer finger up, a loud gasp was heard from the entrance of the classroom. Other students had begun to file in, and one of them in particular was very excited.

"Hime-chaaaan!" Chizuru threw herself onto Orihime, knocking down her chair and pinning the poor redhead onto the desk behind her. All of the students were pleasantly surprised to see Orihime back, but no one quite as much as Chizuru.

"I'm so happy you're back! My life was so empty without you!" Tears of happiness were overflowing from the red-haired girl's eyes in her usual melodramatic manner. Her hands were on Orihime's shoulders and were finding their way lower down her body with each passing second. As usual, the grey-eyed girl's panicked expression was entirely ignored. Rukia, Yasutora and Uryuu backed away awkwardly, knowing better than to get between Chizuru and her "Hime-chan."

"No woman could ever replace you in my heart, Hime-chan! I waited for you faithfully! Hime-chan, I–"

Before anyone could understand what had happened, Chizuru had been yanked off Orihime and thrown half-way across the classroom. Looking severely pissed, a handsome black-haired foreigner wearing the school uniform, with piercing green eyes and black tear streaks down his cheeks, stood firmly on the ground where Chizuru just was. The redhead rebounded, her inner ferocity burning in her eyes.

"What the hell," Chizuru roared, a lioness ready to pounce. The thin pale man grabbed Orihime by the wrist and pulled her up next to him, his possessive eyes daring Chizuru to lay a hand on his woman again. Shifting his glance, Ulquiorra noticed that Orihime's eyes were wide like saucers; she obviously hadn't been expecting him here. Well, he hadn't expected that the result of Urahara's visit was that he would be spending three hours pretending to listen as a balding man behind a desk explained the importance of education, hard work, and suicide support groups. So it was tit-for-tat in Ulquiorra's mind. All this was her fault, after all, her with her enchanting hair and her overly-expressive eyes.

"How dare you touch my Hime-chan, you filthy man!" The innocent bystanders backed away to avoid the raw killing intent bursting out of the enraged lesbian. Completely undaunted, the impassive Ulquiorra stared daggers at Chizuru.

"Inoue Orihime belongs to no one but me. She forfeited her freedom to me eight days ago, and agreed to serve me of her own free will." Despite Ulquiorra's monotone voice, his insides were burning, aggravating his already foul mood. How dare this trash lay a hand on his woman? He placed his pallid hand against the center of Orihime's back and pushed her up against him. _Perhaps this will make the message clear._ "This woman's body and soul exist only for my purposes."

Just like every other time Ulquiorra opened his mouth in public, everyone could just gape, their jaws dropping to the floor. The fertile young adolescent minds immediately drew _very_ colourful conclusions as to what their classmate Inoue had been doing for the last week. The tension in the classroom dissolved completely as everyone openly stared at the most awkward couple any of them had ever seen.

_Ulquiorra probably doesn't even realize how that sounds to us…_ Orihime forced herself to laugh, more embarrassed than ever before.


	5. Interaction

"Umm…" A blank stare.

"Wha-" The fall wind blows softly, rustling the grass. Still as a statue, emerald eyes stared.

"Ulquiorra…" Orihime tries again, struggling to find words under her visitor's intense gaze. "What's… going on?"

Her question was met with silence. The stoic teenager's eyes, deep and hard as emerald, darken. Orihime drops her gaze, suddenly staring intently at the untouched lunchbox on her lap, orange hair sliding gracefully from over her hunched shoulders. She and her pallid companion were seated in the shade of a large oak tree on the school property.

They were face to face and finally alone, and although this was the perfect opportunity for Orihime to get answers to the millions of questions buzzing around in her mind, her former captor was making that impossible. Ulquiorra was looking directly at her, angrier than she had ever seen him.

The grey-eyed teenager remembered the events of just an hour ago, and how they had gotten to where they were now.

* * *

"Inoue Orihime belongs to no one but me. She forfeited her freedom to me eight days ago, and agreed to serve me of her own free will." Ulquiorra placed his ashen hand against the center of Orihime's back and pushed her up against him. _Perhaps this will make the message clear._ "This woman's body and soul exist only for my purposes."

Looking around the now-full classroom, Ulquiorra had to admit that he hadn't gotten the reaction that he was aiming for. Logically, he should have received looks of fear and resignation. Instead, his classmates stared at him with emotions ranging from admiration to shock to disgust. The redhead who had attacked his woman was staring off, her mouth agape, lost in her own sick fantasies. Ulquiorra had no idea what had brought on such unexpected reactions, and he did not care to know.

_In any case, it would seem that because the trash are unable to sense my reiatsu, they are unaware of the danger I pose to them… It will be time-consuming to intimidate them on an individual basis… _

"Human." Ulquiorra's cruel emerald eyes bore into the eyes of the perverted bespectacled woman, even while unsure if she could even hear him at this point. "Listen carefully. Inoue Orihime belongs to me and only me. If you ever touch my woman again I will not hesitate to dispose of your meaningless existence." Ulquiorra spoke slowly, his level voice echoing ominously through the silent classroom. Although he could not, at the moment, crush all of the trash into submission, humans were familiar with the concept of ownership, right?

As if to further assert his point, Ulquiorra pulled Orihime closer to him, rage barely controlled. Looking into his woman's eyes, the former espada saw shock, confusion, and… was that relief he saw there as well? _This woman feels relief? What reason would she have to be relieved to see me here… How strange this woman is…_ Ulquiorra had spent all day pretending to listen to the principal lecture on and on, enduring odd pains all over this damnable body of his, but this girl's entrancing eyes made it worth it.

"What the hell are _you_ doing here?" Rukia spat viciously, her violet eyes on fire, verbalizing the anger that had overcome her the moment Ulquiorra entered the room. The shinigami was certain that this episode was going to send Orihime right back into the traumatic state she was in the night prior.

"I believe that I have already informed you." Ulquiorra spoke cuttingly, annoyed that this had been brought up yet again. How he loathed redundancy. "I am here for Inoue Orihime. If you have a problem, then address your complaints to Urahara Kisuke." Turning back to his woman, he found her eyes shining, causing a wary impulse to overtake the former forth espada.

"Ulquiorra! You're OK!" Orihime shrilled as she jumped off the ground and wrapped her arms around his neck, capturing his defenceless human body in a death grip. His emerald eyes widened in surprise. "I'm so happy that you're alright! I was so afraid that they were going to kill you! Everyone was looking at you like –"

Ulquiorra stood as still as an iron beam, making no move to remove the obviously overjoyed teenager from his person. Although he was as aloof as always on the outside, the willowy Arrancar's insides were burning. Orihime's voluptuous body was flush up against his, instigating even more odd sensations in the Arrancar. Ulquiorra was finally sure that there must be a serious malfunction with his gigai, as, despite himself, he raised a hand to the small of the girl's back and pushed her closer against him.

"Get your disgusting –" Uryuu started, seething. It was enough seeing Ulquiorra so close to Orihime, but for Orihime to actually _hug_ the Arrancar was more than Uryuu could take. Inexplicably, the Quincy was burning with jealousy. But before he could say any more, though, the navy-haired man was abruptly cut off.

"Watch your mouth, Ishida! Have you really changed so much in the last month that you'd pick on the new kid?" The teacher strode into the room, attendance book in hand, and made her way over to her desk. "Yo, Schiffer, save that stuff for later. Come up to the front and introduce yourself."

All the students had arrived in class, save for Ichigo and Tatsuki, and the bell had already rung. Reluctantly releasing Orihime, Ulquiorra walked coolly up to the front of the class as everyone took their seats. Orihime's friends surrounded the jubilant and much-relieved girl, demanding to know _exactly_ what had happened between her and the sexy foreigner.

As for the other students, their reactions to their new classmate were mixed. The guy's skin was unnaturally pale, his sad eyes impossibly green, and he was wearing make-up black tear marks down his cheeks. Despite the newcomer's unmistakable hotness, he looked seriously disturbed. He was violent, and obviously overly-possessive. Even the most flirtatious of girls were not going to go there. The men in the classroom, however, had to give the freak his props; no one had ever been able to get the beautiful Orihime-chan, let alone get her tied to their bedposts for eight steamy days and nights.

Subconsciously, the mere presence of the serene teenager with black tear streaks weighed down on everyone's shoulders. If you were a shinigami, you would know that this was because an extremely powerful hollow that was masking his reiatsu was in the room, but even a normal human could tell that this person was someone you'd want to stay away from. When the room finally went quiet, the pale and willowy young man, his hands in the pockets of his grey uniform, spoke in a deep tone both detachedly aloof and suffocating in its weight.

"My name is Ulquiorra Schiffer. I am from Canada. I will be staying in Japan for as long as Inoue Orihime is here." Despite hating to repeat himself, it was evident that humans were slow, and so repetition was therefore necessary. Ulquiorra's toxic green eyes darkened as he glared at everyone in the class, and a few choice people in particular. "If any of you approach Inoue Orihime in any way that undermines my ownership of her, there will be severe consequences. This is your final warning." A heavy pause ensued.

"Uh… Ok…" The sensei replied warily. She could already tell she was going to be having some trouble with this kid. She figured she had better keep an eye on him. Motioning to the desk directly in front of hers, the spunky young teacher added: "Schiffer, you can sit right here."

Without even turning his head, Ulquiorra lowered his cold expressionless gaze to the desk. "That seat is unsatisfactory."

Without another word, the black-haired former espada glided to the seat to the left of Orihime, against the window. The seat was currently occupied by one of the woman's trash friends.

"Move." The Arrancar's dark piercing eyes sent shivers down the girl's spine. Danger signals were going off like crazy in her head, and she had to suppress the impulse to run out of the room immediately. She did, however, jump out of her seat and dash to the farthest empty seat within the boundary of the four walls.

Ignoring the stares of his new classmates, some furious and some terrified, and most somewhere in between, Ulquiorra took to doing all he planned to be doing at this 'school' place: watching Orihime. The former espada sat with his back upright in his chair, eyes somehow managing to overwhelm the orange-haired girl beside him even while only gazing at her from his peripheral vision.

Uncomfortable under Ulquiorra's intense glare, Orihime tried to ignore him, suppressing the questions that were bubbling to her lips. For some reason, her kidnapper seemed weird today. Not just that he was in a gigai, which was enough of a change already, but he seemed so much angrier than usual. Usually, almost nothing could get to him; he was as unmovable as a statue. Had something happened with Urahara? Suddenly worried, the grey-eyed girl glanced at the former espada beside her, concealed by a veil of orange hair.

Orihime's gaze was met with the stare of Ulquiorra's emerald eyes. He didn't care what anyone thought, the notion hadn't so much as crossed his mind; he stared openly, unapologetically. The grey-eyed girl found his gaze overpowering, feeling heat rise to her cheeks. Diverting her glance, Orihime stared pointedly at the chalkboard, listening intently to a lesson that went in one ear and out the other. She could still feel Ulquiorra's penetrating gaze on her, unyielding and unmerciful. _This is going to be a long hour…_

* * *

Orihime really couldn't understand the former espada's anger. Was he angry at Chizuru? Rukia? The situation in general? And why was he staring at her like that all class? Orihime's inferiority complex prevented her from considering that Ulquiorra thought of her as anything more than the bearer of the power of event rejection, and, as a result, no answer came to mind.

_And when class finally ended, he told me to follow him out here… I thought that he would tell me the real reason he's still here, and what he wanted at my school, but he's just been staring at me without blinking for, like, five minutes now…_

"Inoue Orihime." Ulquiorra's deep melodious voice drew the girl from her contemplation. "Eat your meal."

"Wha-What?" Orihime, despite having heard this command from him a hundred times in the last week, was caught off guard. The pale teenager continued to stare at her intently, drawing a light blush to the redhead's cheeks.

"Haven't I already informed you?" The Arrancar's tone betrayed his irritation with the creature before him. "Nothing has changed since Aizen's death. Just because we are now in the human world does not signify that you are free. You still belong to me, woman, and I will not have you dying before you can be of use."

"Be of use?" Orihime saw her opening. Gathering her courage, she looked the stoic man before her in the eyes. "How could I possibly be of use to you?" The air became heavy.

"That has yet to be determined," Ulquiorra stated after a moment's pause.

"But I don't understand… If you don't know what you want with me, then why come all the way to Karakura Town, and get a gigai, and enrol in my school?" Orihime's curiosity was getting the best of her, making her speak louder and quicker. When she was finished, Ulquiorra just gazed at her emptily, and Orihime scolded herself for getting ahead of herself.

"That also has yet to be determined." The dark-haired teenager didn't like admitting how little he knew, but figured that an answer was the best way to ensure that the girl kept speaking. He found her voice calming, especially in his current condition.

"Well," Orihime wasn't ready to give up yet, but she spoke more carefully now. "Where did you get the gigai from? Was it Urahara-san who made it for you?"

"That is correct." _She seems excited… because I am answering her questions? _

"Why would Urahara-san do that if you used to work for Aizen?" Orihime was subconsciously leaning forward, overly eager to hear what her former captor had to say.

"I do not know. I have not yet given this odd gesture of his any thought." Ulquiorra knew that he would have to get to it soon if he didn't want to fall into any traps, but he was much too distracted with thoughts of the woman. Although he found this utterly pathetic, not to mention shameful, he couldn't seem to help it.

"Ok… Oh, right!" Orihime couldn't believe she had forgotten. "Why are your tear marks black now, instead of green? It looks like make-up…"

"Urahara Kisuke said that if I wore black make-up, the humans would avoid me. It would seem that green tattoos would bring me unnecessary attention." Ulquiorra finished by closing his eyes, black cascading down his cheeks like tears of blood in the darkness. The solemn teenager only wanted the attention of one human; everything else was a waste of time.

"Oh, yah…" Orihime leaned back, bringing her pointer finger to her chin and raising her eyes to the sun-light branches above her in a thoughtful look. "I guess green tattoos would attract attention. People would probably wonder if it hurt to get tattoos there, 'cause the skin beneath the eye is really sensitive and stuff. And green wouldn't scare anyone away. It's such a beautiful colour…"

Orihime finished, looking into Ulquiorra's striking emerald eyes, her own eyes widening in surprise at the intensity with which he was looking at her. Ulquiorra had never seen the grey-eyed girl like this, so light, so unrestrained, so _free_. He was again abruptly glad that he had decided to come live in the human world instead of abducting Orihime again and bringing her with him to Hueco Mundo. The various pains he was suffering through in this gigai were well worth it if it meant he could see her face light up so openly.

"You know, Ulquiorra," Orihime laid her lunchbox on the floor, and brought herself on all fours to get closer to the Arrancar. Aside from the widening of his eyes, Ulquiorra's surprise was undetectable. "You're really handsome. I know that it's kind of an awkward thing to say, seeing as how you kidnapped me last week, but now that I'm back home… and I'm not afraid of you anymore… I can take a good look at you. And you really are beautiful."

Orihime raised a hand to Ulquiorra's surprisingly warm cheek, and she could almost imagine seeing some trace of a blush beneath her fingers. His eyes were wide, but he did not look as angry as he did before. Orihime brought her peach-coloured index finger to Ulquiorra's ghost white skin, tracing the line of black make-up that marred the perfection of his face.

"I think it's your eyes," Orihime continued, blushing furiously. She didn't know why, but she couldn't stop herself from telling him this. Some part of her really wanted to let Ulquiorra know how beautiful he was, for him to never doubt his magnificence. "They are so big, and such a gorgeous green. Like the grass, or the leaves…"

Ulquiorra, for the first time in his recollection, was left speechless. This woman found his eyes beautiful? Her with her warming grey orbs, so dazzling that they could only be compared to the light of her innocent soul? Such beauty as hers could not be found anywhere else in the world, and it was ridiculous that she should not know that.

Ulquiorra wanted to tell her that she had obviously never seen her eyes as she smiled, but one sensation in his body was quickly making his thoughts dissolve completely. Looking at the blushing Orihime, her curvy body practically hovering over him, an unbelievable pressure was suddenly building within him. The hot pressure was even more excruciating than that other pressure that made it painful for him to walk.

The confused Arrancar had to resist the foreign urge to pull the woman on top of him. He was not going to do something senseless just because his broken gigai wanted him to do it. He could only hold his breath against her sweet scent as she explored intently with her eyes his every feature. Ulquiorra breathed a silent sigh of relief when Orihime pulled back, her embarrassment finally getting the better of her.

"Eat now, woman." Ulquiorra managed in a strained voice, after a few moments of silence. These inexplicable bodily sensations had been unnerving him all day, and this last one was sending him over the edge. The usually cool Arrancar tensed up, looking as if he were about to explode at any moment.

Neither the pressure nor the heat subsided, even as Orihime opened her lunchbox and began eating. Her face was still flushed from being in such close proximity to Ulquiorra just a moment earlier, and the innocent crimson colour of her cheeks seemed to further power Ulquiorra's insane desire to press her body as close to his as it would go.

_This gigai must certainly be defective…_

* * *

A man and a woman stood beneath the autumn sky, the heavy silence between them broken only by the whirling of wind and the distant rustling of leaves.

"So… That's it." Tatsuki was at a loss for words. Orihime, her best friend, was all this time facing such great danger, all alone. Her heart sinking through the floor, Tatsuki couldn't believe she had failed the one she cared most about.

"Yah…" Ichigo knew it wouldn't be easy for Tatsuki to hear. "I haven't been able to sense Ulquiorra's reiatsu since he showed up after Aizen was defeated yesterday, but I'm sure that he'll be back for Inoue." Ichigo paused, his eyes determined, making sure that Tatsuki knew that he was swearing this to himself. "I won't let him hurt Inoue again. I will protect her this time."

"I think you're a little late, Ichigo," The shinigami's life-long friend said, chuckling weakly. "I stopped by Orihime's place this morning, and the guy who answered the door called himself Ulquiorra Schiffer."

"Wh-" Ichigo spluttered, eyes wide. That _Arrancar_ stayed _overnight _in her _apartment_? "What?"

"Crazy, eh? After everything, that guy had the gall to tell me that Orihime was sleeping and to go away, as if he owned the place." Despite the seriousness of the situation, Tatsuki couldn't help but laugh at Ichigo's face. "I was about to sock it to 'em, but that Urahara guy stopped me."

"Urahara? The sandal-hat guy?" The orange-haired Vizard eyed his childhood friend incredulously. Was Urahara really protecting Ulquiorra?

"Yah, and he told me something really weird, telling me to relay it to you, even if I don't believe it." Tatsuki looked into Ichigo's eyes, unsure with how this would go over. Hesitantly, she repeated the bit of information. "Urahara-san told me that… Ulquiorra is in love with Orihime."

"Wh-What!" Ichigo's mouth dropped to the floor, his mind conjuring his memories of Ulquiorra. Never had Ulquiorra done anything to even _suggest_ that he could feel anything even _akin_ to love. "That isn't possible! That guy's the most cold-hearted bastard I've ever seen!"

"I know, I know…" There was one piece of news that was even more difficult for the black-haired teenager to convey. To Tatsuki, it was beyond the scope of the possible. "But the worst thing is that Urahara also said… that Orihime loves him back…"

"What the fuck is that bastard saying!" Ichigo was furious. That shop keeper was risking Orihime's life because he thought that _Ulquiorra_ and _Orihime_ were in _love_! "There's no way that Inoue would like a bastard like Ulquiorra!"

"I know that it's impossible." Tatsuki said, her eyes brimming with pain, her fists clenched. There was no way this could be happening. Tatsuki was the only one who knew that Orihime had been in love with Ichigo for years now. Her feelings for that man were so strong; there was no way that they could be forgotten so easily. Especially not for the man who had kidnapped her, called her trash, and ordered her killed… "But don't do anything about that guy just yet. I need to talk to Orihime."

Ichigo looked down at the petite girl before him with tumultuous brown eyes. Although she was so strong, Orihime's suffering hurt her like nothing else could. _What a mess this is…_

"Alright, Tatsuki."

* * *

On ground level, three more people were drowning in tension. Yasutora, Uryuu and Rukia had taken their lunches outside, sitting silently at a picnic table. In view, their friend Orihime and one of their sole surviving enemies, Ulquiorra, were seated together. A moment ago, the comrades had watched as their friend had engaged the Arrancar in conversation. To their disbelief, she was acting more or less like her usual cheery self around him.

Suddenly, Orihime was hovering over Ulquiorra, touching his face. No one knew quite how to react to that. It was obvious that the Arrancar was turned on by her, but the two men at the table weren't sure if they should intervene or not… Luckily for Uryuu's sanity, in particular, Orihime pulled away a moment later and started eating her lunch.

As for Rukia, she was beyond approach. Ever since leaving the classroom, she had been in a daze, unable or unwilling to answer the questions of her worried nakama. She looked incredibly shocked, disbelief and internal conflict colouring her face. The events of just several minutes ago were replaying in her mind again and again, as if they were trying to convey to her some hidden meaning.

* * *

The bell rang, signalling the end of class, and the beginning of the lunch period. Immediately, Orihime's desk was swarmed by her morbidly curious friends. Unable to move an inch, the redhead's girlfriends bombarded her with questions.

"So how long have you known each other," the curly-haired Mahana asked in a suggestive tone, raising her voice over the bustling of her classmates and the excited voices of her friends.

"Me and Ulquiorra?" Orihime couldn't think of an appropriate answer. She was a terrible liar, and there was no way she could come up with a convincing enough story to justify what her friends had witnessed earlier. She couldn't even explain it to herself. "We met two months ago, but we only really… got to know each other… a week ago." Orihime had anticipated her friends' shocked expressions.

"A week? And he's already so friendly with you? What a pervert!" Chizuru's eyes were burning dramatically with rage. "I'll show him who Orihime's master is!" This comment was followed by a sudden ten degree drop in room temperature.

"Ul-Ulquiorra...?" Orihime turned around, fear making its way into her eyes. The usually distant Arrancar was standing right behind her, staring down at the woman before him with disdain. She was like a bird caught in the gaze of a snake, unable to move, unable to look away, unable to breath. An eternity seemed to pass before he spoke.

"Come with me, woman." With that simple command, Ulquiorra turned his back to Orihime and walked away at his usual unrushed pace. Only when the emerald-eyed man looked back at Orihime did the girl break from her daze and sprint towards his retreating back.

"Inoue, wait!" Rukia shouted out, grabbing Orihime's forearm. The grey-eyed woman turned around, her vibrant orange hair whirling with her. Looking into her friend's worried, pleading eyes, a smile spread across Orihime's warm face.

"Don't worry, Kuchiki-san. I'm alright now, really. And even though Ulquiorra acts like that, I don't think that he's such a bad person." Orihime pulled the black-haired shinigami into a hug, whispering softly into her ear something that the redhead felt her friend had the right to know. "I owe him. He protected me in Hueco Mundo and his words held me together last night. Even though we belong to different worlds, and everyone calls him the enemy, I have to protect him."

Turning away, sending her friend one last warm glance, Orihime ran frantically after Ulquiorra, who had not bothered to stop and wait for her. A light smile graced the redhead's heart-shaped face as she followed her former guard, eager to find the answers to some of her questions, and perhaps find a way to pay him back for his oddly touching words. Ulquiorra's graceful allure and his imposing aura made students clear the way for him in the crowded halls. There were whispers all around the two, but neither of them took notice.

Back in the classroom, Rukia stood in silence. The classroom was empty except for Uryuu, Yasutora, and herself. Her two comrades were looking at the tiny girl gravely, unsure if they should ask what Orihime had said. Finally, Rukia murmured into the silence.

"Inoue… Is he… that important to you?" Rukia was stunned. She understood exactly what Orihime meant when she said that she had to protect him. She had felt the same way once before… How she had wanted to protect him, the one who was called Soul Society's enemy, her comrade who belonged to a different world.

They were just too different. Their worlds were never meant to overlap, but somehow, her feelings had refused to fade away… _Co-Could it be that I...?_

Staring off into space, lost in her own thoughts, Rukia silently ghosted from the classroom, her worried friends right behind her.

* * *

"Umm, do you want some of my unagi-redbeanpaste-tortilla roll, Ulquiorra? It's really…" Orihime trailed off, feeling self-conscious under his blank gaze.

"No." Ulquiorra sounded. He continued to stare at her.

"It's the last of my unagi, but I'm sure that you'll like it, you must be hung—"

"I said no. Finish your meal." The brisk former espada cut the redhead off, annoyed. Orihime went back to her meal, squirming under Ulquiorra's watchful emerald eyes.

"Yes… sir…" Orihime huffed internally. _Why is this guy so intimidating?_

If life had been complicated for Inoue Orihime before, it was about to become much more thorny.


	6. Connection

It was an autumn day like any other in the human world. The looming sun hung high in the afternoon sky, bathing the earth in its golden rays. The students of Karakura High School casually went about their business as usual, chattering, bickering, and laughing. Very few knew how close they had come to facing annihilation at the hands of Aizen Sousuke and his Espada. To these blissfully unaware teenagers, life continued uninterrupted, the events of the previous day causing not so much as a burp in the everyday routine of things.

Within the relaxed and carefree atmosphere of the schoolyard, Orihime Inoue and Ulquiorra Schiffer were caught in a bubble of tension. The world of gossiping schoolgirls was a world apart from where they sat. In the ominous shade of the giant oak tree, time seemed to run slow. The air between the two was heavy and charged, neither able to make any sense of the other.

Orihime looked around her, if not to indulge in the nostalgia of her halcyon days, then to avoid Ulquiorra's cold stare. The school was just as she had remembered it. Her friends were the same, too. Nothing had really changed, even after the cataclysmic events of the last few weeks. The only difference that Orihime recognized was that the birds had flown south, and without them, the air now hung silent and motionless.

The orange-haired girl's eyes ran across the ground at her feet, her hand rubbing against the soft dampness of the soil. Red and yellow leaves were scattered all around her, already dry from the unseasonal heat. The grass and soil beneath, however, were still moist, and an earthy scent still lingered in the air. There had been a thunderstorm the night before… _Last night…_

Troubled grey eyes narrowed in melancholy. Everything around her was the same. She had walked to school as usual, talked with her friends as usual, but why, then, did everything feel so strange to her? Orihime knew that it was because _she_ was different. The last seven days had changed her. Not in a bad way, but maybe not in a good way, either. It was almost like the life she had lived up until then was missing something, that there was something off in the chemistry of everyday living. Orihime couldn't manage to feel steady and satisfied in this normal, mediocre life. The redhead kind of felt lost, disoriented. And the driving force of this feeling was sitting directly in front of her.

The ever-caring girl raised her eyes to her stony companion. He hadn't moved so much as an inch for fifteen minutes already. Not that that was out of the ordinary, no, he had behaved much like this in Hueco Mundo as well. He spoke only when he had something important to say, only moved when movement held a purpose. As a result he rarely spoke, and moved only to get from point A to point B, seeing that most things, in his mind, were trivial. And Ulquiorra didn't waste his time on trivial things.

But, for some reason, the notion that the stoic forth espada hadn't changed from when he was in Hueco Mundo disturbed Orihime. So much had happened, his life had been turned upside down, so how could he remain so unperturbed? It wasn't human.

Completely forgetting that Ulquiorra wasn't _supposed_ to behave like a normal human, Orihime was sure that he must be hiding some kind of pain or anger behind those piercing emerald eyes. The redhead felt compassion towards the Arrancar, and this sentiment, mixed with her gratitude towards him, stirred in her the irrational urge to get him to open up to her. Despite the Arrancar's undeniable cruelty, the kind Orihime truly believed that all Ulquiorra needed was a friend.

"Nee, Ulquiorra?" Orihime raised her voice while staring down distractedly at her unagi and red bean paste tortilla roll. This question was really difficult for her to voice; she had no idea how her former captor would react. Ulquiorra was still gazing at her, but his face seemed more relaxed after the several minutes the two had spent in silence. Something in his eyes told Orihime that she had his permission to continue.

"Are you, umm… sad… that Aizen is… dead?" The anxious redhead formed the words hesitantly, then looked up to see Ulquiorra's reaction. There wasn't one.

"Because, you know, he was your superior…" Orihime added nervously with a giggle after a moment of awkward silence. "And, from what I've seen in Soul Society, subordinates are usually really attached to their superiors. Rangiku-san told me that Hinamori-chan was devastated when Aizen pretended to be murdered, and—"

"No." Ulquiorra's voice cut in, effectively silencing the girl before him. Why was it that she babbled so much when she was nervous? "The bonds that the shinigami have amongst themselves are useless to Arrancar. Seldom are relationships formed, and when they are, the bond is momentary and for mutual gain." Ulquiorra paused, allowing the woman to soak in his words. Her expressive eyes shone with fascination.

"The bond between the Arrancar and Aizen was no exception. Hollows gave up their freedom in order to serve Aizen, and in return were transformed into Arrancar. There was no emotional attachment behind this bond, and a Hollow would have had no qualms breaking the pact the moment they were sure that they could survive the treason." Although Orihime was still curious, her eyes betrayed some revulsion at what she heard. Ulquiorra did not expect the human girl to understand.

"So, Hollows don't have friends? Don't you ever get lonely?" Suddenly, Orihime was overcome with pity. Did Ulquiorra never have even a single friend? She supposed, then, that it wasn't for no reason that they were called "Hollows."

"Hollows do not feel emotions such as loneliness, happiness or sadness." Ulquiorra knew that this must be true, it was common knowledge to all those who had ever set foot in Hueco Mundo, but verbalizing this age-old cliché made him question the truth of it. If Hollows could not feel, than why was it that he had been overwhelmed with countless feelings from the moment he had set eyes on the woman so many weeks ago?

"You can't feel sadness? That's ironic," Orihime giggled, tracing with her eyes the black tear marks that flowed from Ulquiorra's eyes. "But you know, I don't really believe you. Even though people, in Soul Society especially, are always saying that humans and shinigami and Hollows are all really different, it just sounds to me like everyone's racist! I think that everyone's more alike than anybody thinks."

"Racist?" Ulquiorra gazed at the grey-eyed girl before him questioningly. The word was vaguely familiar to Ulquiorra from his time as a human, but there was no way that Ulquiorra would be conscious of such a phenomenon. In Hueco Mundo most of the inhabitants did not have the power of discrimination, let alone enough energy to waste to act upon it.

"Well, you see, in this world, there are a lot of people who think that their race is better than all the other races. This causes a lot of wars and violence, even though people are more tolerant now-a-days." For some reason, to be able to explain something to Ulquiorra that he didn't know before made Orihime feel smart. She never thought she would be aware of something he wasn't; Ulquiorra just struck her at the kind of person who knew everything. "Soul Society acts like it's above all that, but then it holds such prejudice against Hollows! I mean, I don't think that it's possible that one whole race of people are ALL bad, you know? It really bugs me!" Orihime finished by crossing her arms under her chest energetically with a huff.

"You do not think that Hollows are evil?" Behind Ulquiorra's unchanging mask, he was amazed. He had been quite convinced that all beings residing outside Hueco Mundo (who were aware enough to make such judgements, of course) thought of shinigami as the absolute good and Hollows as the absolute evil. _After the experience that the woman had in Las Noches, it is even more surprising that she does not despise all Hollows…_

"No way!" The vigour with which the busty teenager responded was alarming. "I've met many Hollows who have redeeming qualities!"

"Such as?" She couldn't mean him, could she? Inexplicably, Ulquiorra's heart soared at the possibility.

"Grimmjow!" Orihime exclaimed cheerfully, unaware that Ulquiorra suddenly felt like Ceroing to death the nearest bystander. "I was getting beat up by these two Arrancar woman, and Grimmjow came in and saved me!"

"He did that because he wanted you to heal Kurosaki Ichigo. It was only for his personal gain." Ulquiorra's voice was tense, his urge to kill rising with every word the woman spoke.

"Which is also good! Because if I hadn't healed Kurosaki-kun then, he probably would have died! And Kurosaki-kun is a very important friend of mine…" Orihime's sweet voice faded away dreamily as she fantasized about her long-time crush, oblivious to the ice-cold and ever-expanding aura of death surrounding the emerald-eyed former espada.

"I have known Grimmjow for a long time, and I can assure you that any good he did was accidental, woman." Ulquiorra sounded through clenched teeth, trying to keep his voice under control. It was ridiculous that he should be so easily enraged, even though his emotions _were_ aggravated by the various pains in his body.

"Well," Orihime countered defensively, "There was also my older brother Sora, who died when I was young and who came back as a Hollow last spring."

"Your brother became a Hollow?" Ulquiorra's rage subsided slightly as he gazed at the girl before him, and found a great sorrow concealed behind her shining grey eyes. Her moods were like the ocean, rising and falling in waves, often without warning. Ulquiorra had seen many emotions play in Orihime's big grey eyes, and he wasn't yet quite sure which one he found the most beautiful.

"Yah, and even though he was violent and tried to kill me, he only acted that way because of his sadness and loneliness. And he even saved me when I was about to be hit by a car!" Orihime plastered on a smile, and raised her arms triumphantly. "Which proves both my points! Hollows can feel, and Hollows are not purely evil! Ding-Ding-Ding! Fifteen Love!"

Ulquiorra closed his eyes and remained silent, allowing the woman before him to enjoy her small victory. She was so beautiful when she smiled, even if the smile was forced. He did not want to drag her down to reality with the thousands to anecdotal cases that he could cite immediately from memory that proved that Hollows could not feel, or at least, could not feel anything beyond emotions such as fear, hatred, anger… He did not want to plague her innocent, naive mind with the nightmarish recital of the horrors he had both witnessed and participated in during those long years under that looming crescent moon. Ulquiorra would let her laugh gleefully, here in this world of Wholes, he would let her continue to believe in her idealistic nonsense, and he would protect that glowing smile, because he much preferred the warmth of her sunlight smile to the cold of the hollow moon.

"Nee, Ulquiorra," Orihime offered a bright smile to her former captor, her tone light and cheery. "Do you think that you could call me by my name from now on? I don't expect you to know this, but in the human world, being called by 'woman' is kind of rude."

"Very well, Inoue Orihime." Ulquiorra answered after a moment's pause. The change really was insignificant to him.

"Uh… actually, it's kind of unusual for someone to call someone else by their full name all the time…" Orihime continued, feeling awkward under the piercing gaze of emerald eyes.

"What is it exactly that you want me to call you, then?" Ulquiorra sounded in a clipping tone, suddenly irritated. He had heard her called by several names already in his short time on earth: Orihime-san, Orihime, Orihime-chan, Inoue, Inoue-san… If she had something in mind, it was idiotic of her to get to it in such a roundabout way.

"Umm…" Orihime backed away, surprised by his sudden anger. "Kurosaki-kun and my nakama call me Inoue, so—"

"Then I will call you Orihime." Ulquiorra stated with a tone of finality. He was _not_ going to be putting himself on the same level as those trash friends of hers.

"Well, uh," Orihime didn't really know how to say it. "A boy calling a girl by her first name… it kind of implies that we're really close, and—"

"Than the designation is appropriate." If the woman belonged to him, than he should be the only one close to her. It should have been obvious to her, but at his words, the girl Orihime blushed furiously. Noticing the delicate crimson, Ulquiorra's irritation dissolved, as he was once again involuntarily awed by her beauty. How infatuating that shade was on her pink cashmere skin…

"Ulquiorra," Orihime was almost afraid to ask the question, not because she feared the green-eyed man's reaction, but rather, that her fears about him would be confirmed. "You… don't really think that all Hollows are… evil, do you?" Her inquiry was met with an expressionless gaze.

"Good and evil do not exist in Hueco Mundo." The simple statement baffled Orihime.

"What do you mean," Orihime questioned, wondering what thoughts lurked behind those serpentine eyes of Ulquiorra's. For some reason, she really wanted to know more about him, about what he thought. "How could good and evil not exist?"

"Good and evil are concepts generated by societal dogma and personal subjective judgments. Neither exist objectively, but instead depend on the existence of a culture by which such conceptions could be engendered and perpetuated." Ulquiorra spoke calmly to the fascinated girl. He couldn't understand why, but she seemed eager to hear what he had to say, perhaps almost as eager as he was to get into _her_ head. "There is no society in Hueco Mundo. Hollows have no culture. All that exists is instinct, and only the fittest survive. There is no room in this scheme for such abstractions as good and evil."

"But, from what I saw in Las Noches, there _was_ an existing society. There was Aizen and those other shinigami, and all the Arrancar. All of you guys together, didn't you make up a society? I mean, you even wore matching outfits…" Orihime couldn't remember the last time she was so pensive around someone else. Usually she just kept her opinions to herself and let everyone think that she was an airhead. Maybe, she realized, it was partially her fault that everyone thought that she was naïve…

"We were connected by our common allegiance to Aizen, but, as I previously explained, all of that was only on the surface. There was never an actual bond of comradeship between any of us." Although Orihime's view was flawed, Ulquiorra had to admit that she was perceptive. The Arrancar were created to be united under Aizen, but they were also just Hollows looking out for their self-interest. It was the contradiction of their existence: the whole versus the self.

"But Arrancar are sentient beings!" Orihime's eyes sparkled as saw another victory approaching. She never thought she'd be able to win against anyone, let alone Ulquiorra. "Even if you say that there were no bonds between you, as conscious people, bonds would have been formed without you even realizing it!" Ulquiorra offered a stony glare. The girl was intelligent.

"That is not possible." The Arrancar closed his eyes, his pride and his common sense trying to convince him of this statement. Ulquiorra had never been prideful in the least, but for some reason he didn't want to lose against this girl. And he had no idea why.

"Well," Orihime said with another one of her cute huffing motions, jiggling her oversized breasts. "I don't believe you. You're here because you want something from me that has nothing to do with my Shun Shun Rika, which means that you're not here for power, but for _me_." A blush rose to Orihime's cheeks as she spoke the last part.

"In other words," the orange-haired girl continued, smiling. All the pieces were now falling together in her head. "You're in the human world because of our bond! Somehow, I must have become your friend in Las Noches!

"And if that's true, then you have a funny way of showing your friendship!" Orihime exclaimed, chiding playfully now. "I could really have used a friend there, but instead of being nice to me like you were yesterday, most of the time you were really mean… and cold… not that you aren't always cold, but—"

"Foolishness. I was not 'nice' to you yesterday. Nor do I consider you my friend." Ulquiorra changed his mind, the girl was far from intelligent; she was more like a babbling idiot. The former espada glared at the brightly smiling girl before him coldly.

"Hey, that isn't a nice thing to say to your first friend!" Orihime started giggling uncontrollably. Ulquiorra was just so _cute_ when he spoke harshly like that over nothing. He would kind of lean his head downwards, and glare with that oh-so-serious stone-like expression. Orihime couldn't understand how he could stay like that for so long without _laughing_. If she hadn't been so petrified of Ulquiorra in Las Noches, she would have found his crazy antics a great source of entertainment.

Even though Ulquiorra was still as harsh and cold as ever, he really didn't seem opposed to conversation. Orihime felt at ease talking to him, now that he wasn't so scary anymore, and for the first time in an eternity she didn't feel uncomfortable speaking her mind in front of someone. Even though he was judgemental and criticized everything unmercifully, his words weren't really coming off as ill-intentioned. He was even cute and funny, in his own way. Orihime was amazed; maybe she and Ulquiorra really could be friends…

"Ulquiorra," Orihime began after a few moments of comfortable silence, having gotten the giggles out of her system. "Earlier you seemed really… angry. Why was that? Did Urahara-san do something to you?"

"Yes. He gave me this defective gigai and expected me to be able to function with it." Ulquiorra replied after a short pause, his green eyes and his melodic voice hard, irritation evident in both.

"What's wrong with your gigai?" The orange-haired girl immediately became anxious. Was he in pain? Was he suffering? The stoic teenager considered ignoring her, but was dissuaded by the pleading and worried look in her big grey eyes. Ulquiorra closed his eyes, heaving an internal sigh.

"The head feels heavy and aches, making it difficult to concentrate. The nose is blocked and there is an odd pressure there that is making it difficult for me to breath. The throat feels coarse and dry, causing pain. The back is sore and I have been experiencing sharp pains there all day." Ulquiorra listed his complaints calmly, while Orihime listened carefully. _It sounds like he has a cold…_

"Odd sounds have been coming from the region of the abdomen at an increased frequency," The emerald-eyed former espada continued. _His stomach is rumbling… Maybe he's hungry?_

"Below the abdomen, there is also a pressure that has been increasing all day, making it difficult to walk." _He's got to go to the bathroom? Why couldn't he figure that out on his own?_

"In the same region, there is another pressure, stronger than the first, that has been rising and falling at seemingly random times over the course of today. It is accompanied by a searing heat that courses through the body and brings to mind strange images and impulses." Ulquiorra finished his list tonelessly, describing the inadequacies of his new body, as one might hear people list the negative points of buying a Mazda or a Saturn.

"Um, Ulquiorra, you realize that you're in a gigai, don't you?" Orihime laughed, noticing how cute the Arrancar was when he was clueless. How odd the grey-eyed girl found it that someone that had once seemed so terrifying could now seem so cute. An Arrancar in the human world really was interesting. "You're hungry, you're thirsty, you've got to go to the bathroom, and you've got a cold. I don't know about the last one, but it all seems like normal human stuff."

Glad that it wasn't more serious, Orihime approached the confused dark-haired teenager on her knees and raised her delicate hand to his pale forehead. Upon contact, the burning heat of his brow spread through her hand, feeling almost like it could burn her. Orihime recoiled from the touch, shocked. _Oh my God! He's burning up! How is he able to just sit there and act like everything is alright?_

Terribly worried, Orihime brought both of her hands to Ulquiorra's cheeks. She hadn't imagined the warmth before, it was still present, but its intensity had tripled. She pulled her hands away, and looked down to the watch at her wrist. _Ten minutes left until the end of lunch period… We'll have to skip the rest of the day. I've got to get Ulquiorra somewhere before he passes out..._

"Do not remove your hands, Orihime," Ulquiorra murmured in a tone Orihime could now recognize as weak. More surprising than his use of her first name, the increasingly pale teenager held Orihime's hands by the wrists, and pressed them gently against each cheek. "It feels… soothing…?"

"Come on, Ulquiorra, get up," Orihime rose to her feet, shaking with worry for her former kidnapper, and tried to lift the taller man up with her. He refused to move.

"What do you think you are doing, Orihime?" He looked up at her, his eyes glossy. The redhead wondered how she could have missed it before. What the general onlooker would say were imperceptible differences in Ulquiorra's countenance, Orihime now came to recognize as painfully obvious signs of distress.

"You're really sick, Ulquiorra, we've got to get you somewhere to rest." The grey-eyed girl pulled Ulquiorra up by his hands, and, this time, he complied. Thinking quickly, Orihime decided to bring the emerald-eyed teenager to her home, instead of to the school nurse. She would best be able to take care of him there.

Forgetting about everything else, Orihime held Ulquiorra's feverish hand and lead him towards her apartment. Walking silently down the long streets, Orihime kicked herself for not having noticed anything earlier. Sure, he was angry, but that alone couldn't have tipped her off on how sick he actually was. His face showed no trace of pain, he conversed as he normally did, held himself with dignity as he always did. Orihime knew that if it was her, she would have been bawling her eyes out and be making a complete martyr of herself. She could never be as strong as Ulquiorra was…

Realizing that that train of thought was taking her nowhere, the grey-eyed girl looked back at her ailing kidnapper. Although to the unsuspecting eye, nothing in his countenance was out of the ordinary, Orihime found now that he truly looked like he was suffering. She realized that the difference might not be that he held himself back from seeming in pain, but that he was, by nature, unreadable. Just like she was, by nature, expressive…

Orihime quickened her pace, Ulquiorra holding her hand and following her tiredly. The bright sunlight, she figured, must've been hurting Ulquiorra's head. A half an hour later, the two had arrived at Orihime's apartment. Opening the door quickly, she gently pushed the slender Arrancar in, and closed the door behind her.

Swiftly, the redhead led the ashen teenager to her bedroom, lying him down on her bed. As she wrapped all of her bed covers around him as snugly as she could, Ulquiorra gazed up at her with a questioning look. His mind was a jumble, a result of his deteriorating condition, but he was still amazed at how much the woman before him seemed to care for his well-being. For some reason, he couldn't manage to scoff at her concern.

"Just stay right here and don't move. I'm going to go get you a glass of water, okay, Ulquiorra?" The frantic girl was replied with a consenting grunt.

Orihime dashed to the kitchen, and quickly ran the cold water. Pulling out a glass from the cupboard, the redhead filled it with tap water. Stopping the tap's flow, Orihime found the aspirin bottle and withdrew two from the tiny white and cyan container. The schoolgirl then dashed back to her bedroom.

"Come, Ulquiorra, sit up for a minute. You need to swallow this." The anxious redhead helped the former espada sit up, and placed the glass in this right hand, and the pills in his left. "Put these two pills in your mouth, and then swallow it down with water. It will make you feel better."

Ulquiorra did as he was told, although somewhere in his cloudy mind he resented being ordered around by someone who was supposed to be his property. As he drank the cool water, he found himself yearning for more. He finished the glass immediately. Orihime got him another glass, and he finished that one also. She got him a third, and placed it at his bedside.

The black-haired Arrancar lowered his body onto the bed, allowing himself to indulge in the comfort of the mattress, and the sweetness of Orihime's aroma. The room, although overly bright in his opinion, held a sense of cosiness. In a way, Ulquiorra noted, the room and the girl matched.

The worried Orihime raised her hand to Ulquiorra's forehead, feeling the impossible heat burning beneath his skin. She really did want to soothe him. Ulquiorra closed his emerald eyes under Orihime's touch, and abruptly wished that he could feel more of her against him. A part of him wanted to bring her underneath the covers with him, wrap his arms around her, and never let go. To feel her warmth, her sweetness, to have it all for himself, forever. At that moment, Ulquiorra would have given anything just to have Orihime in his arms…

Orihime ran her slender fingers through Ulquiorra's silky black hair, massaging his scalp gently in an attempt to relieve his headache. Her movements were so gentle; they brimmed over with a kindness that was assaulting Ulquiorra's reason. Before he could keep the thought from surfacing in the convoluted haze that was his mind, the question posed itself before him, heavy and daunting: did he _deserve_ to have Orihime in his arms?

He had kidnapped her from her home, stole her from the people that she loved. He had subjected her to all sorts of emotional trauma, the kind that most people don't ever recuperate from. He hurt her because she had confused him, sent him reeling off the course he had been following for decades. Her very existence had proved antithetical to his own, her agile mind taunting him as it did somersaults around his reasoning.

Out of pure spite, he provided the beautiful girl with equal retribution for his pains, tormenting her, pushing her to the brink of sanity. All because he couldn't understand her, because he hated her weakness and her attachment to that trash shinigami. And, more than anything else, because no matter how hard he tried, he could never seem to get any closer to her. Her beautiful eyes were always elsewhere, and sometimes he thought that he tormented her just to make her recognize his existence.

And after one week trapped in purgatory, where was this fiery goddess? Straining her fingers to sooth the pain of the one who had been her tormentor. Although Ulquiorra knew that he should not be questioning his methods (since when had he started questioning his methods?), he couldn't bring himself to berate the vagrant thought. Too tired to be disgusted with himself, the Arrancar recognized the feeling that had pooled in his gut: guilt.

Slowly, Ulquiorra opened his eyes, and piercing emerald met endless grey. They were just two people, souls who had encountered each other in the shifting sands of time, each so separate, each so different. But for one endlessly short moment, the two people seemed to connect, and beyond all words and roles and memories, there was an essential understanding. They could both feel it, the beginning of something new.

Ulquiorra closed his eyes again, overwhelmed by the feeling of the moment, and Orihime just smiled knowingly. The orange-haired teenager leaned further over the bed, massaging the Arrancar's scalp more vigorously. She knew that she still had to make him go to the bathroom, and cook him something to eat, but for some reason she just wanted to stay by his side for a little longer.

Orihime knew that if her friends saw her now, they would say that she was doing this because she was a caring person who loved everybody. And Orihime would agree; she was a caring person who couldn't bring herself to hate someone, even if that person was the enemy. But that wasn't the reason that the grey-eyed girl was by this Arrancar's side. With a smile, Orihime realized that she was here because, more than anything else in the world, Orihime loved her friends. And as long as her friend was in trouble, she would do whatever she could to help him.

And it would seem that, suddenly, Ulquiorra had become a very important friend to Orihime.


	7. Confessions

The minutes drifted by, contentedness emanating from the two forms on the bed. Ulquiorra's semi-conscious figure, bathed in gentle sunlight, was wrapped up in Orihime's deep blue comforter. The redhead, her hands aching, sat on the edge of her bed, gazing down at the Arrancar in her care with warmth. His features were tense from the pain, but not as tense as before. Ulquiorra was breathing deeply, snuggled in all of Orihime's fluffy comforters, his mouth slightly agape.

Orihime, stunned by how vulnerable he looked, gently brushed a stray black lock of hair from Ulquiorra's eye. There was just no way in her mind that this was the same person who had so nearly killed Ichigo. She knew that the former forth espada was strong, but in so many ways, he was also gentle. Although his words were cold and curt, his arms as they encircled her were warm, protective, even. Somehow, Ulquiorra had known exactly what to tell her to help her find her way out of the shadows of the night prior, whether he realized it or not. There was no way that Orihime would ever forget that. Watching him there, Orihime's eyes shone with contentment. They truly could be friends.

He treated her like something precious, uninterested in the charade of happiness she had concealed herself in for the last few months, or even her godlike powers of rejection. His words, although not kind, sent a message that the redhead had desperately needed just at that point in time, a message that no one, not her nakama, the shinigami, or the Vizards had thought to give her. Orihime didn't know how she could ever repay Ulquiorra for making her feel needed again.

He was an Arrancar. He had worked for Aizen. He was the enemy. He had kidnapped her, stole the world from her, insulted her friends, humiliated her. He was the one who had given Ichigo that fatal blow. He was a monster, a cruel and merciless beast. That is what she should have thought of him as, that is what a _normal_ person would think of him as.

But for some reason, Orihime couldn't bring herself to think of him that way. The only logical explanation was that she had come down with a serious case of Stockholm Syndrome, and he, she supposed, with an equally serious case of Lima Syndrome. It was the only way that Orihime could explain why she wasn't afraid of Ulquiorra, why she didn't hate Ulquiorra. Why he wasn't her enemy, but her hero in this twisted tale. And, why anyone as beautiful and deep and interesting as he could find interest in someone like her.

She wondered when it had happened. When exactly had she stopped seeing Ulquiorra as her enemy? When had he become a friend to her? Since when has her heart held only fondness towards him? Just two days ago, he had threatened to force her food down her throat. Back then, she had genuinely feared him. But why was it, then, that the next time she had seen him, when he had confronted Grimmjow and been trapped in the Caja Negacion, had she been filled with fear _for_ him?

Although it was painful, Orihime thought back to her days in confinement. Whenever she had interacted with her ghostly captor, her first reaction to him had never been fear. Shock, yes. Surprise, yes. Fear or hatred, no. Those feelings only came later, when his cruel words inspired in her fear and hatred unlike any she had ever known. Although these uncharacteristic emotions of hers would always dissolve along with her tears after Ulquiorra had left the room, Orihime still knew no one who could affect her as much as he could.

The teenage healer was sure that Ulquiorra knew exactly how to manipulate her. So easily, he could make her burn with anger. With just a few words, he could make her drown in sorrow and despair… And with a simple motion, he could make her glow with pure happiness. Orihime smiled kindly, her eyes never leaving the former espada's delicate face. Ulquiorra really was one of a kind.

"Why are you staring at me, Orihime?" Ulquiorra's eyes were still closed as he murmured.

"Because you're pretty," Orihime murmured back with a giggle. "And I don't stare nearly as much as you do." Ulquiorra cracked an eye. He could have sworn he was seeing an angel. Orihime's heart-shaped face was glowing with incredible tenderness, her fiery hair cascading around her in waves.

"That is because you have never been faced with a goddess…" Ulquiorra's voice drifted as he closed his emerald eyes again, just missing Orihime's embarrassed blush. His head was still aching painfully.

"How are you feeling now, Ulquiorra?" The grey-eyed girl spoke softly after a moment of silence.

"The pressure in my abdomen has yet to subside." Ulquiorra stretched his arms beneath the covers, wary of how comfortable he felt in Orihime's bed. The soreness of his limbs was an interesting contrast to the warmth of the bed. All of this was so new to him.

"I think that you have to go to the bathroom," Orihime's tone was full of implication, but a foreboding feeling was creeping into her gut. Even if Ulquiorra didn't know how it felt to have to go, he should know what to do, right? The redhead couldn't imagine that the Arrancar would be so helpless, especially since Aizen had made him her caretaker.

"What good will that do me?" Ulquiorra tried to lift himself up, only to feel a sharp pain in his back.

"Wh-what?" Orihime looked down, dreading where this conversation was going. "You know how to use the bathroom, don't you, Ulquiorra?"

"I know nothing of your worthless human rituals," Ulquiorra continued to struggle into a seated position on the cushiony bed, the strain of it taking a toll on his nerves.

"But…" Orihime felt so helpless. Despite herself, panic seeped into her voice. "Aizen put you in charge of taking care of me. You must know about human stuff like eating, drinking, and going to the bathroom, right?"

"I was the one who arranged for your capture, therefore I was naturally the one to watch over you." Hadn't he explained this already? He owned her. He really couldn't care less about anything else. "I know that humans must eat three meals and drink eight glasses of water a day to stay alive and healthy. That was all that mattered to me."

"But what about the bathroom, the one in my room?" Orihime pleaded desperately, struggling to keep her voice a soft whisper. This could not be happening.

"Aizen was the one to prepare your room, along with your 'bathroom.'" Ulquiorra looked at Orihime with big emerald eyes, clearly confused as to why she looked like she was about to cry.

"So, um, Ulquiorra…" There was no way around this after all. Orihime would have to teach Ulquiorra all about being human… Although this was something the grey-eyed girl looked forward to, she had hoped that Ulquiorra would at least already know _that_ part…

At that moment, the distraught Orihime wished that she were a guy. That would have made this so much more bearable. "You wouldn't be familiar with… urination, would you?"

"That word is unfamiliar to me," was his simple reply, as he looked up expectantly from where he sat on the bed. He saw the orange-haired girl sigh as she blushed a deep red, trying to find the words to explain.

"Urination is something that humans need to do to get rid of toxins…" Orihime tried to keep her cool, speaking calmly so that he would understand. "You know that… pressure? You need to let it out. The pressure is your body telling you that you need to urinate." The Arrancar just looked at her dumbly, too many years of Hollow existence between his human life and now for him to comprehend the meaning of her words.

"Just go to the bathroom," Orihime spluttered, her face beat red as she took his pallid hand and pulled him from his navy cocoon on the bed into the washroom.

Within the imposing confines of the small apartment bathroom, Orihime and Ulquiorra faced the toilet. Orihime's face was redder than the pink of the walls. Emerald eyes stared at the girl questioningly, confusion over her obvious embarrassment evident. Orihime wrung her hands nervously as she stared at the floor. She had never talked about anything so intimate. Orihime was uncomfortable with intimacy. _Very_ uncomfortable. She still called the guy she was in love with 'Kurosaki-_kun_,' even in her head.

"You pu-pull down your pants and yo-your underwear, and…" The redhead stuttered as she tried to form the words. Orihime looked up pleadingly, her eyes begging Ulquiorra to somehow understand.

Ulquiorra gazed back down at her, the now-evident suffering in his eyes the only thing in the world that could make Orihime speak the next words.

"And… point your _thing_ at _that_." Orihime tried to explain in complete embarrassment, as she pointed to the toilet bowl. Ulquiorra gazed down at the bowl for a moment, analyzing the instruction. After a very long, very intense moment, Ulquiorra's gaze again met Orihime's.

"What 'thing' are you talking about, Orihime," Ulquiorra said, furrowing his brow slightly. Why was this so difficult for her to explain? Why was she red as a tomato? Meanwhile, the redhead in question was cursing the Fates that he had asked _that_ question. Orihime took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

"Umm, this might sound weird," Orihime started after another long moment, finding no other way to explain. "Bu-But do Arrancar have… sex?" As she asked her question, the ginger-haired girl dropped her head, begging whatever god existed to open a hole in the white tiles below her feet so that she could hide in there forever.

"Sex?" Ulquiorra was just getting more and more confused. What in the world was this woman getting at? With a talent only he had, the Arrancar's words finally made Orihime crack.

"Penis. You know what a penis is, right?" Orihime glared up at Ulquiorra, frustration and stress finally driving her off the edge. There was no way that the conversation could possibly get any more awkward, so she might as well come out and say it. She found it very difficult not to blame all of this on Ulquiorra.

"Of course," Ulquiorra replied calmly. "It is the organ that distinguishes a male from a female of the same species." Orihime suddenly felt like banging her head against the wall. _Why couldn't I think of that? Why did I have to mention sex? It must be because of my dream this morning… And, knowing Ulquiorra he's going to go right out and ask—_

"What does the penis have to do with 'sex'?" Ulquiorra asked, trying to piece together the bits of their conversation, even though his headache was pounding away at him. He gazed at the woman before him questioningly, and could swear that her face had somehow found a way to turn even redder.

"Ne-Never mind that!" Orihime exclaimed, with a little more energy than was necessary as she tried to end the discussion. "Yo-You just pull do-down your pants, and point your pe-penis at the toilet, and let go of the pressure." To this, the flabbergasted grey-eyed girl only received a confused look.

"Just… try it. A liquid should come out, and you aim it into the bowl. Once you're done, you wash your hands in the sink, okay?" Orihime tried to catch her breath, as her reflection in the bathroom mirror revealed to her that her face was as red as it felt. The tiny and cluttered bathroom seemed incredibly hot to her.

A few moments later, as Ulquiorra, due to his fever, took longer than usual to process his thoughts, Orihime breathed a sigh of relief, glad that she had finally gotten past the difficult part. The Arrancar's empty eyes shifted their gaze from Orihime, to the toilet bowl, to the sink, then back again. _This shouldn't be too difficult…_

"Very well, Orihime," Ulquiorra's serene voice sounded as he quickly undid the buckle of his belt and let his grey school pants fall to the floor. Revealed were slender, although muscular, strong legs, and a rather prominent bulge concealed beneath close-fitting white boxers.

Ulquiorra was about to remove his boxers, when Orihime, eyes like saucers and face redder than ever before, dove out of the washroom and scampered on all fours to the living room. Ulquiorra watched impassively for a moment from over his shoulder as she scurried away desperately, as if the devil himself were at her heels. He then turned back to the toilet with a sigh and pulled down his underwear. _Such an odd woman…_

At the other end of the apartment, Orihime balled herself up into a foetal position in her living room. Her heartbeat was drumming furiously in her chest; she was unable to process what had just happened. A guy had actually pulled down his pants in front of her! This was by far the most embarrassing thing that Orihime had ever experienced. _Doesn't Ulquiorra know that girls and guys aren't supposed to do that in the same room! But, he doesn't know what sex is, so it wasn't like he was _trying_ to…_

Immediately, the redhead's mind conjured images of the dream she had had that morning. Writhing in embarrassment at her own train of thought, Orihime clenched her eyes shut, held her head in her hands, and ducked her face behind her knees. Although she tried her best to stop it, heat was coursing through her shapely body, pooling in one place in particular.

_The pale, slender man was on top of her, touching her, feeling her, giving her all the attention she had always yearned for, and was unable to believe she deserved. Her moans, her sighs, her gasps, inciting him, propelling him to offer more caresses, more sensual touches and licks and kisses and bites. It had all felt so realistic, and even now, each warm touch was burned into Orihime's memory._

_The gorgeous girl's subconscious was blinded by instinctual lust and desire unlike any Orihime had ever felt. Ulquiorra removed his clothing slowly, giving her the chance to soak in his magnificent chest, and his surprisingly broad shoulders. Although the Arrancar was slender, he was also muscled in an incredibly satisfying manner. Those thin hands, with long, artistic fingers, removed her clothing gently, showering her in soft, yet hungry kisses, handling her luscious body like a delicate flower. A flower that he then surged into, gently, at first, as the blood of her innocence seeped through the white sheets, and then more forcefully, each pleasurable thrust sending wave after wave of unimaginable ecstasy through every crevice of her body…_

"Orihime, I have successfully 'urinated.'" Ulquiorra's deep and unintentionally seductive voice shook Orihime from her daze, and did nothing to quell the heat now coursing through her veins. _I'm going to have to change my underwear,_ Orihime realized with a sigh. _There is just so much wrong with this… I've never even thought of Kurosaki-kun that way, and here I am daydreaming about Ulquiorra…_

"All right, Ulquiorra," Orihime murmured as she tried to get up without stumbling. The still-blushing girl approached the Arrancar and held him by the hand, ignoring her irrational desires, as she lead him once again towards her bedroom.

As she tucked Ulquiorra back into her bed, Orihime tried to force the dirty thoughts from her mind. She looked down at the former espada in her care, and saw that his features were slightly more relaxed. His soft inky hair contrasted with the light blue of the fluffy pillow. His eyes closed tightly as he tried to block out the light of the window that was assaulting his head like a hammer. _He's so beautiful…_

"You rest here, and try to sleep, Ulquiorra," Orihime murmured softly from just above him, her grey eyes inexplicably glazed over. "A lot of the food that I have here has gone bad while I was gone, and I'm out of a lot of stuff, too."

Orihime stretched up to full height, and leaned over the bed, closing the blinds of her window. Crouching back down quietly, she brought her comforter up to cover more of Ulquiorra's outstretched throat, and he gave out a deep humming sound in response.

"I'm going to go to the supermarket and get some food for you. I won't be gone long, so stay in the apartment, and don't leave the bed unless you have to go to the bathroom or get more water." The orange-haired girl smiled warmly at the almost-sleeping figure, tenderness spreading across her heart-shaped face. "I will be back soon with dinner, so just rest until then. I promise you'll feel better soon."

With those words, Orihime left her bedroom, headed to the supermarket. Ulquiorra drifted off to sleep, the image of the soft-spoken angel lingering gently before his tired eyes.

"Ori…hime…"

* * *

"Owie-owie-owieee!"

The straps of Orihime's shopping bags dug mercilessly into her shoulders and fingers as she tried to keep the food inside from falling everywhere. Her heavy load, as well as her obvious clumsiness, earned her worried looks from the cashier and the other shoppers as she walked out of the supermarket.

The redhead, who usually bought food only for the day, was not used to carrying around huge shopping bags full of food, not alone at least. When Rangiku and Toushiro had stayed over, Rangiku had always gone shopping with her, and without exception had begged her to buy all kinds of treats. This time, she had gotten excited over Ulquiorra's new status as her roommate and went way overboard. She had no idea what kinds of food the Arrancar would like, so the simple solution was to buy a little bit of everything.

If it weren't for the heavy bags, Orihime would be skipping home. She had so many things she wanted to show Ulquiorra, so many foods that she wanted him to try. After that, there were also so many games to play, and people to meet, and places to go. So many streets to walk, so many parks and beaches and forests. Orihime wanted to show Ulquiorra the sunrises and the sunsets; she wondered how he looked when he was in awe. They could go eat apple pie, or lie in the grass, or go to the movies, or…

"Inoue-san?" Uryuu's calm voice broke through Orihime's reverie as he came up behind her. He was still in his school uniform, which wasn't surprising, because it wasn't even three o'clock yet. "What a coincidence meeting you here, I was just doing some shopping."

"Hello, Ishida-kun. Where are your shopping bags?" Orihime asked innocently, noticing that, unlike her, Uryuu wasn't carrying a single bag. There was a momentary pause, short but heavy.

"I was going to do some grocery shopping, but, happening across you carrying all these heavy bags, I figured I could shop later." Uryuu pushed his glasses higher on the bridge of his nose, congratulating himself for dodging a bullet. He wouldn't want Orihime to know that he had been keeping track of her reiatsu all day, and ditched school as soon as he felt her distancing herself from the former Arrancar.

"Oh, that's nice of you!" Orihime offered a friendly smile to her classmate. _He skipped school to make sure I was alright…_ As she spoke, Uryuu approached her and took the bags from her hands. The Quincy insisted on taking all the bags, leaving only one light one in Orihime's small thin hands. Together, they began to walk towards her apartment. For a long time, a poignant silence hung in the air.

"So, Inoue-san, why do you have so many groceries?" Uryuu asked with purposeful casualness, trying unsuccessfully to hide the true meaning behind his question. Although Orihime knew what he was getting at, she played along as usual.

"Ulquiorra's staying at my house from now on, so I'm going to be needing a lot more food!" Orihime smiled enthusiastically, settling into her ditzy persona in an attempt to avoid the awkward discussion she could feel looming. "Everyone knows that healthy teenage boys need lots of food to grow up big and strong!"

"I wouldn't really consider Ulquiorra a 'teenage boy,' Inoue-san." Although Uryuu's tone was detached, his navy eyes betrayed his concern. "I don't know what happened between you two in Hueco Mundo, but he is an Arrancar. He's dangerous, Inoue-san." There was another pregnant silence.

"I know, Ishida-kun…" Orihime's voice came out as only a mumble. There was no way that her nakama would ever accept Ulquiorra. She looked up, her eyes meeting the eyes of the young Quincy. "He is an Arrancar, but he isn't dangerous. I can't believe that he's dangerous…

"I don't know how to explain this to you, but I just know that he would never hurt me… I know that that sounds really stupid, since he kidnapped me and almost killed Kurosaki-kun, but…" Orihime looked down, feeling almost ashamed to say the next words. She couldn't bear to look Ishida in the eye. "I can't help the way I feel about him. He's my friend."

"Inoue-san…" Uryuu let his voice trail off. He really didn't know what to say.

"But, you know, Ishida-kun," Orihime forced her tone to be light and cheery, both as a reprieve from the heavy conversation and as an attempt to reassure him. She started walking faster. "I think that if you got to know Ulquiorra, you'd like him, too! He's kind of cold and mean on the outside, but he has a good heart, you know!"

"Inoue-san, you realize that he is a Hollow, right? He doesn't have a heart." His voice came out cold, and a little more callous than he had intended. Uryuu was trying to be subtle and take it slow, but he just couldn't sit back and let his friend be deceived by an Arrancar. Uryuu had to jog to keep up with Orihime, who was now desperate to get home. "We have no idea what he's doing in the human world, or what he plans to do with you. It is not prudent to allow him to be so close to you –"

Uryuu cut himself off when he realized that Orihime was crying, her frustration taking its toll. A few rogue tears had betrayed her commands and spilled from her eyes, rounding the curve of her cheek. The Quincy's harsh gaze softened, he hadn't intended to hurt her feelings. He was only trying to protect her… "Inoue-san…"

"You don't understand, Ishida-kun…" Orihime said, willing her voice not to shake, infusing it with more strength than she felt. Her quick pace didn't relent. She just had to get home… "Ulquiorra is my friend. He's mean or irritated sometimes, but he's also funny and cute and _nice_.

"You're only judging him like you are because he's an Arrancar." Orihime's voice gained volume, as she looked the shocked Uryuu in the eye. "You used to think that all shinigami were evil, but once you got to know some, you realized that they're individuals just like everyone else, right!

"It's the same with Hollows! You can't judge them all the same way, it's just not right!" More tears spilt down her peach cheeks as Orihime continued to speed walk towards her home. She had never spoken to Uryuu like this, and she could tell that he was taken aback. "Ulquiorra is an individual, with his own free will, so why is it so hard to believe that he's here just because he wants to be my friend?"

Uryuu wanted to stop Orihime before she got home, but his hands were full. Seeing no other alternative, the Quincy ran ahead of his orange-haired friend and blocked her passage right as she was about to turn onto her street.

"Inoue-san, it is in the nature of Hollows to devour human souls." Uryuu's eyes were hard as they bore into Orihime's. He had to make his point clear, if she didn't understand, she could wind up… "And it is in the nature of higher-level Hollows like Ulquiorra to seek power. There is no way that an Arrancar can show up in the human world just to 'make friends.' Can't you see that he is just manipulating you?"

"Ishida Uryuu." A deep threatening voice sounded tonelessly from behind Uryuu, and the Quincy turned reflexively towards the sound. Standing just a few paces behind him, ashen hands in the pockets of his grey uniform, was the Cuatro Espada, Ulquiorra Schiffer. His piercing emerald eyes shone with nothing but pure killing intent. Or, at least, that's what Uryuu thought. The grocery bags fell to the floor.

"Ulquiorra." Coolly, the teenage Quincy drew his spirit arrow, aiming it directly at his opponent. "I don't know what you're up to, but I will not let you lay a finger on Inoue-san."

"Lay a finger? Aren't you the one who is hurting her?" Ulquiorra's legs felt weak, but he refused to wobble. This trash had made Orihime cry, and for that he was going to pay. "You have obviously done something to upset her."

Ishida opened his mouth to give a pointed retort, but was stopped by Orihime's worried wail.

"Ulquiorra, you shouldn't be up! You're not well!" The grey-eyed girl dashed to the Arrancar's side, using her body to steady him against her. She could tell that he was having trouble standing, and she was afraid that he would faint from anaemia if he didn't lie down quickly. One of her hands held him up by his shoulder, and the other was pressed against his warm forehead.

"I'm fine, Orihime." Although the words sounded firm in anyone else's ear, Orihime knew that he was bluffing. His glazed-over eyes searched her face as one slender finger wiped away her tears distractedly. "I need to have a word with this 'nakama' of yours."

"I'd be more than happy to oblige, Arrancar." Uryuu narrowed his eyes as he drew the string of his spirit bow further back. "Step aside, Inoue-san-"

"No way!" Couldn't Uryuu see that Ulquiorra was in no shape to fight? Not only was he in a gigai, he was terribly sick! The grey-eyed girl, without wasting any more time, turned around to face her Quincy comrade. "Ulquiorra has a fever, he needs to get inside quickly. If you try to hurt him now, I will never forgive you." Without another word, Orihime began to drag Ulquiorra back down the street towards her apartment.

"Orihime, that trash made you cry." Ulquiorra was still enraged at the Quincy, but put up no resistance as Orihime brought him home. Unlike that so-called nakama of hers, he understood that killing one of the woman's friends would only serve to hurt Orihime's feelings even more. "Do not associate with him anymore."

Despite her tears, Orihime smiled. His protectiveness was really quite endearing. It seemed to be a complete turn-around from when they were in Las Noches. There, how many times had Ulquiorra made her cry? Of course, Orihime didn't know that there was only one time that Ulquiorra actually _knew_ that he had made her cry, which was after she had slapped him. She also didn't know that Ulquiorra had waited for a long moment outside her door that time, listening to her sobs, and had promised to himself that he would never again put himself through that sort of pain.

They entered the house, and Orihime sat Ulquiorra down on the couch. Although he wouldn't admit it, he was relieved to be sitting down. The emerald-eyed teenager's head was spinning, and he felt like he was going to lose consciousness. Some indefinite amount of time later, his eyes focused on Orihime's hovering form bringing a glass of water to his lips.

Vaguely, Ulquiorra could hear Orihime ordering Uryuu to put on the rice cooker and to make some onigiri, which made him feel like smiling. It was about time that that silly girl took charge of things… The black-haired man suddenly felt the seat of the couch beneath his head. And then a splash of cold water.

"-orra! Ulquiorra!" _What is this woman yelling about…Why must she be so loud…_ Ulquiorra opened his big emerald eyes and was faced with full pink lips. He stared intently. He could feel her warm breath on his face, and it was very distracting.

"Ulquiorra! Are you OK?" Orihime was frantic, Ulquiorra had just fallen over. "Ishida-kun, get me some bread, it's in that bag over there…" Uryuu had never seen Orihime like this, and, with a talent all her own, she had thrown him off too much for him to wonder whether he should be helping the Arrancar. _I suppose that he isn't a threat in _this_ condition…_

With Orihime's help, Ulquiorra was able to get into a seated position and swallow a bite-full of bread. Once he tasted the fresh bun, he wolfed the rest of it down ravenously. The orange-haired girl dashed to the kitchen, where Uryuu had dropped the bags, and came back with the rest of the buns in a large brown bag.

"Eat these for now, while I make you something more filling." The moment Orihime stepped into the kitchen, the apartment living room fell quiet, the air becoming heavy. Ulquiorra didn't look up from his food, his mind suddenly empty of everything except the desire to ingest as many of the fluffy buns as possible, as quickly as possible. Watching him incredulously was Uryuu, amazed that the famously cold and arrogant forth espada was devouring bread rolls like would a wild animal.

"What are you looking at, Ishida Uryuu?" Although it was a question, Ulquiorra's tone was so deadly flat that it sounded more like a statement. With just a few words on the Arrancar's part, the air froze.

"I don't know. What am I looking at?" Uryuu's voice was as hard as his eyes. With Orihime out of the room and the bustling atmosphere dissolved, Uryuu put his focus once again on the purpose of his visit.

"You do not trust me not to hurt Orihime." Toxic green eyes narrowed threateningly.

"Why should I?" The Quincy's navy eyes followed suit. Ulquiorra closed his eyes, sighing internally. He could crush this piece of trash in an instant, but instead he was put in the position where he had to gain the Quincy's approval. It was very difficult for Ulquiorra not to blame Orihime for all this.

"Because if anything were to happen to Orihime, my life would become meaningless." This was Ulquiorra's great weakness. Bonds make you weak. They're fetters, liabilities. Ulquiorra had bonded with Orihime. Orihime made him weak.

Ulquiorra opened his eyes, and realized that the Quincy wasn't convinced. Uryuu, unlike Orihime, was unable to detect the disarming honesty in his voice, or the softening of his piercing eyes. He, like everyone else, would see Ulquiorra only as an emotionless bastard.

"Than why did you abduct her?" Uryuu's voice was cold, yet harsh. He was sick of these games.

"Orihime came to me of her own free will."

"Liar. What are you really planning for her?" Suddenly, a realization struck the blue-eyed teenager. Ulquiorra was supposed to be Aizen's most trusted espada, wasn't he? "You're not planning on using her powers to somehow reject Aizen's death, are you?" Ulquiorra would have rolled his eyes.

"Fool. Aizen is of no use to me anymore. Orihime is all that I desire." Uryuu wasn't convinced, but it was undeniable that Ulquiorra and Orihime held some sort of intimate relationship, judging from Orihime's words earlier.

"What happened between the two of you in Las Noches?" Once again, poisonous green eyes looked at the Quincy like he was a complete idiot.

"I was her caretaker. I made certain that she was well-fed and well-rested." Ulquiorra glared hard.

"Nothing romantic?" Uryuu almost dreaded the answer, but kept his voice firm.

"Do not associate your race's idiotic fantasies with me." Ulquiorra didn't know a whole lot about romance, but reasoned that anything so distinctly human could not make its way into his character. A heavy silence fell around the two.

"I will never harm Orihime." Ulquiorra knew that Uryuu was very fond of the girl, and knew that he wasn't going to settle for less than a complete confession. "If I were to return to Hueco Mundo, I would be the forth most powerful Hollow. I could conquer and devour the world without effort. If I had needed Orihime for these plans, as you suspect I do, I could have reclaimed her the moment I emerged from the Caja Negacion.

"But instead I am here, in this restraining gigai, surrounded by shinigami and human trash. I have wilfully allowed myself to take the form of a powerless human. There is nothing that I can gain from this situation, aside from Orihime's company."

Uryuu took a moment of consideration. He still suspected that the Arrancar was up to something, but Ulquiorra also had a point. If he had wanted something from Orihime, he would have already taken it, either immediately after escaping the Caja Negacion, or after the high-level captains had returned to Soul Society. Really, by giving Orihime space to return home alone, her nakama had made her easy picking. Ulquiorra could have stolen her away without effort.

Staring at the emerald-eyed former espada, Uryuu noticed he still seemed to be under strain. Orihime was right, he really was in no shape to fight, which made his behaviour earlier all the more peculiar. Why had Ulquiorra confronted him so directly if he could hardly stand? Could it really be that he was only looking out for Orihime?

Deciding that there were too many unknown factors and unanswered questions, Uryuu decided to let things play out for a little longer. He'd continue to keep track of Orihime and Ulquiorra's reiatsu, and would never be too far to intervene if something went awry, as, he figured, it was bound to. In the mean time, the Quincy decided, he should shake some answers out of that Urahara Kisuke.

"The miso soup is ready!" Orihime poked her head out from the kitchen, seemingly oblivious to the tense atmosphere she had intruded into. "Do you want some too, Ishida-kun?"

"That's quite alright, Inoue-san," Uryuu offered politely, before his tone turned curt as he looked down at Ulquiorra. "I have some other business to attend to, so please excuse me." With a nod in Orihime's direction, Uryuu strode out of the apartment, closing the door behind him.

"Oh well!" Orihime exclaimed with a smile, her mood unhampered. "Come, Ulquiorra, sit at the table!"

The Arrancar obeyed, unsettled at how much authority over him the woman was exerting. He was going to have to change that. Making himself comfortable on the floor pillow, Ulquiorra swore he was going to find a way to dominate her somehow. But before then, there were some things that needed to be cleared up.

"What happened to me earlier?" The emerald-eyed teenager sounded. He realized that there were gaps in his memory, something that the Arrancar was very uncomfortable with.

"You fainted from hunger," Orihime responded as she set the bowl of miso soup carefully before him. "This will make you feel better. It will also help your throat. And the onigiri is coming too."

Ulquiorra looked down at the steaming soup sceptically. Slowly, he picked up the silver spoon set in front of him, and dipped the tip into the liquid. Under Orihime's expectant gaze, he brought the spoon to his black lips, and sipped hesitantly.

"This…" Orihime perked up, eager. "Tastes disgusting." Furrowing her brow, Orihime tasted some of her own soup in front of her.

"You're right. It tastes so bland," Orihime replied, grimacing playfully, as she set down her spoon. "These store-made products lack inspiration. Don't worry, I'll fix it!" The redhead then got up and glided into the kitchen.

"That's pretty odd, though," the teenager called out to her companion as she rummaged through her grocery bags. "Most people like the boring store-made stuff…" Orihime then burst through the kitchen threshold with a jar of diluted sour cream and a bag of bread crumbs.

"This is how I eat my miso soup!" Orihime explained excitedly as she plopped a spoonful of sour cream into Ulquiorra's soup and began stirring, dissolving it in the hot watery liquid. She then sprinkled some of the bread crumbs into the thick and creamy concoction. Satisfied, Orihime began to do the same to her own meal.

"Try it! You'll like it better like that!" Ulquiorra looked down at the white glump of food in distaste. This _definitely_ did not look like anything he had ever fed the woman. If Ulquiorra didn't know Orihime better, he would have suspected that she was trying to poison him, especially since she hadn't yet taken even a bite of her serving as she gazed at him intently.

Carefully, he once again brought the mixture to his lips and swallowed it. Raising his eyes, he saw that Orihime was eager for a reaction.

"Slightly more tasteful," Ulquiorra replied calmly, internally relishing in Orihime's exuberant cheers and her spontaneous tears of delight. He hadn't lied; he did prefer the soup the way the redhead made it.

"I'm so happy! I thought it was only me and Rangiku-san who liked my cooking!" Orihime smiled brightly, her eyes shining as she thought of all the food she could make for Ulquiorra. "Oh! I'm going to make you some of my favourite dishes!"

Ulquiorra continued eating as Orihime sprang to her feet and dashed again to the kitchen, her own soup lying forgotten. From where he sat in the living room, Ulquiorra could hear the loud clamour of pans, and the tearing of plastic seals. Also, there were the occasional surprised yelps as Orihime dropped something or tripped over her own feet in excitement.

The slender former espada finished his soup slowly while Orihime shouted out to him from the kitchen. There was something about the feeling filling his torso that made him feel comfortable, at home. Which was odd, because he had never felt 'at home' anywhere.

Every few minutes, Orihime would come bustling through the doorway with some sort of strange-looking dish, and would insist that Ulquiorra try it before she returned to the kitchen to continue preparing her other dishes.

That night, Ulquiorra was served a seventeen course meal. The two talked for a full three hours as Orihime stuffed Ulquiorra with all of her favourite foods. She was delighted to learn that, although he wasn't partial to anything, he didn't dislike her cooking. Ulquiorra had never thought one person could laugh so much, especially when no one else around them was laughing. Orihime's excitement only grew as the red sun fell further towards the horizon, and Ulquiorra had to physically stop Orihime from cooking him an eighteenth dish.

As Ulquiorra held Orihime's wrists, trapping her arms behind her back, she struggled playfully to free herself. There really was no quelling her excitement. Ulquiorra pinned Orihime against the wall of the kitchen, careful not to hurt her.

"Please, Ulquiorra, just one more!" Orihime turned towards her friend, her fiery hair brushing against his face. "I'll make it extra delicious!"

For some reason, Ulquiorra never felt more alive than at that moment. He didn't know if it was the absolute trust she placed in him, or the way that her sparkling grey eyes held not a trace of fear, but Ulquiorra knew then and there that he would never, ever leave Orihime's side.


	8. DeathBerry and MaskPrincess

**Spoiler:** There will be a spoiler to the end of the film "V for Vendetta" (which I don't own, by the way), although not exactly explicit. So if you haven't yet seen this amazing movie, I encourage you to!

* * *

Ichigo swung around his massive sword, returning the black zanpakutou to its position behind his back. After a long game of cat and mouse, he had just finished off a rather powerful Hollow that had been crawling around the city. The Hollow was significantly stronger than the ones that would appear regularly in the human world, and the extra time it took to vanquish it was making Ichigo late for supper.

"Great, now I've gotta put up with that idiot's complaining," Ichigo grumbled half to himself, half to his short shinigami companion. "How much do you wanna bet that even if I tell him I was caught up with a Hollow, he'll still attack me? The guy's a lunatic!" However, the redhead's ranting, oddly, was met only with silence as Rukia briskly walked past him towards the Kurosaki Clinic. Ichigo frowned, following.

"Oi, Rukia," Ichigo continued in a more pensive tone, despite his friend's distant attitude, "isn't it weird how powerful that Hollow was? Ya don't usually see 'em that strong." Rukia just continued walking ahead of him, facing downwards as if she wasn't hearing a word he was saying.

"And it just kept running away! I've never seen a Hollow run away like that one did. And he wasn't chasing after something or anything…" Ichigo grumbled, amazed over his friend's continual lack of reaction. Usually, Rukia would have already cut him off and told him to stop complaining, or would have offered some kind of explanation, or would just have justified it by saying that his skills were unrefined. In any case, instead of getting a cheeky remark, Ichigo was getting the cold shoulder, and there was only one possible reason for that: Rukia was stressed over something serious.

Ichigo hadn't noticed anything odd with her behaviour that morning; Rukia had been her usual self. But then, when Ichigo saw Rukia at lunch, she was all spacey. Even before he had arrived, Chad had later told him, she had been keeping to herself, and seemed to have been deep in thought ever since she had spoken with Orihime in the classroom.

"Oi, Rukia," Ichigo attempted again tentatively. They were just around the corner from the Kurosaki residence, Rukia walking mutely a few paces in front of him. The annoyance at her silence had long since subsided, and every moment that passed made the Vizard that much more worried. And Ichigo was now worried enough to break the awkward silence. "If there's ever anything you need to talk about… I'm here, okay?"

With only a small hesitation, the small shinigami continued her brisk walk. Arriving before the Kurosaki Clinic, she jumped lithely through the window of Ichigo's room, closing it silently behind her.

* * *

"Aww, come on Ulquiorra!" Orihime pleaded as Ulquiorra held her hands behind her back. Her struggle against his firm hold on her wrists was in vain. "You're a growing teenage boy! I _know_ that you must still be hungry!"

"No." Ulquiorra answered curtly as he pushed Orihime forward and onto the living room couch. She was sprawled out beneath him, her fiery hair a beautiful contrast to the deep blue of the couch. "I have been well fed, and I will not eat another bite. Now stay here while I get rid of all this food." Releasing his hold on the girl, he gracefully made his way back to the table, Orihime hot on his tracks.

"It's not fair, you know," Orihime huffed as she helped Ulquiorra bring the half-eaten food to the kitchen. She was surprised to see him actually _lifting_ something; Orihime had imagined him the type to pass off ordinary work to others, asserting something about not 'dirtying himself with the affairs of trash.' "Whenever I didn't want to eat, you forced me."

"That was to keep you alive," Ulquiorra retorted monotonously. Although his countenance was as cold as ever, he was enjoying the girl's crazy antics. Her round pouting face was inexplicably adorable. "If I eat anymore of your food, my stomach will undoubtedly burst open."

"But you said that you liked it!" Orihime stopped Ulquiorra from throwing the food in the garbage, and instead put the leftovers in a Tupperware and into the fridge. Ulquiorra, now completely recovered and as sharp as ever, followed suit with the rest of the plates.

"Orihime, I said that it was palatable. There is a difference." Orihime laughed at his deadly serious remark, earning herself a pointed glare from the emerald-eyed teenager. The food put away, the redhead started to wash the dishes by hand.

"Do you feel any better, Ulquiorra?" Orihime smiled brightly as the slender man leaned on the counter beside her, reading the label on a can of tomato soup. She couldn't tell if he looked intensely concentrated on the fine printing or utterly disinterested.

"My body is still rather sore, but it is bearable." Ulquiorra answered distractedly as he placed the can into the cupboard.

"You'll be all better once you've had a nice warm bath and a good night's sleep." Orihime handed Ulquiorra the wet plate and a dish towel. "Do you mind drying?" Ulquiorra nodded almost imperceptibly and grabbed the two objects into his hands. The former espada never would have thought that he would ever be reduced to doing the _dishes_. Cleaning was for trash. But he couldn't let Orihime do all the work alone…

"There's someone that I want to introduce you to at school tomorrow, Ulquiorra," Orihime said conversationally, although the glee emanating from her was hard to miss. "Her name is Arisawa Tatsuki. She's my best friend."

"Un," Ulquiorra remarked quietly to show that he was listening.

"She's the closest thing to family that I have," Orihime continued, the memories bringing a smile to her face. "I met her when I was in Middle School. Ever since then, she's always been by my side."

Orihime look to the side, and her eyes met Ulquiorra's. "Tatsuki has always protected me. Kind of like you do. I'm sure that you two will get along great!"

A heart-warming smile spread across Orihime's face, the sincerity of her voice making Ulquiorra even less eager to go to school the next day. "I can't wait to see her again; I've missed her so much this last month."

The two finished the dishes in comfortable silence, each retreating into their own thoughts. Working together, they were soon done, and Orihime led Ulquiorra from the kitchen.

As he sat on the couch, Orihime searched through her hallway closet, where she had stored her late brother's cloths. She had never had the heart to throw them out. They were very poor when her brother was alive, so there was really nothing else to remember him by than his cloths. And, even now, when Orihime knew that Sora was resting in peace in Soul Society, she just couldn't bear the thought of taking everything that _belonged_ to him and putting it in _garbage bags_. She could never go through with it.

The redhead shuffled through the closet for a few more minutes, noticing for the first time that none of her elder brother's cloths actually matched. Well, they _had_ lived on coupons back then…

Giving up on finding anything remotely stylish, Orihime extracted navy blue sweat pants, stiff cotton boxers, a white button-up shirt, and a black pull-over sweater. Satisfied with the mismatched fruits of her labour, Orihime returned to the living room, where Ulquiorra was eying the childish décor critically, planning a complete renovation.

"I'm going to run the water for your bath," the redhead started, holding the bundle of cloths out to him. "Once you're done, you can change into these."

"Very well," the Arrancar replied sombrely as he took the bundle from Orihime's delicate hands.

"And, um…" Orihime looked down as she wrung her hands nervously, pulling Ulquiorra's attention off of the package on his lap. "Just so you know, in the human world, boys and girls aren't supposed to see each other naked… So, could you please have a little… discretion?"

* * *

"Where do you think you're going, you ungrateful son?" Isshin had been even more flaky than usual ever since the final battle against Aizen. He used seemingly every opportunity to bring up Ichigo's 'warrior upbringing' and the need for 'shinigami family bonding.' For precisely this reason, Ichigo was headed upstairs.

"I'm going up to my room to sleep," Ichigo snapped, losing his patience yet again. He carried with him a plate of teriyaki noodles, his 'midnight snack.' "I've had a long day!"

"You never spend any time with me! What would your mother think? Masaki–" The shinigami's wailing was cut off by an abrupt facial impact with a toaster, courtesy, of course, of Karin.

"You know he's got that girlfriend of his up there, so why are you trying to interrupt?" Karin questioned in a level tone, the heel of her foot digging into her father's crying face.

"Girlfriend?" Yuzu's eyes light up with curiosity, as she looked up from the bubble-filled kitchen sink.

"Karin," Isshin kneeled before his daughter, awe-struck. "You can sense Ichigo's girlfriend's presence, too? You're so amazing Karin! You'll surpass your ungrateful brother in no time!" His face swelled with unbridled pride as he tackled Karin into a bone-crushing hug, only to be knocked out by a solid punch the next moment.

Up the stairs, Ichigo's face reddened in the hallway's darkness. "I can hear everything you guys are saying…"

* * *

Well, Ulquiorra was in the bath. And Orihime honestly hadn't lied; the heat did relieve him of his soreness. The sensation of having his every muscle relax as he was submerged beneath the hot water was entirely new to him. There had been showers in Las Noches, but they seemed entirely different than the shower-tub that Ulquiorra was in at the moment. The shower that he had had in his private bathroom was essentially a powerful sprinkler whose jets used intense water pressure to blast off all blood and sand from his toned, steel-like Arrancar skin. Unlike the human concept of bathing, there was no need for such shameful things as colourful loufas or lilac-scented soaps.

Hot steam was circling over the bubbles of the bathtub, completely clouding the mirror of the small pink bathroom. Letting his ebony hair flow freely in the water beneath him, the pale-skinned Arrancar's long legs were draw up so that his knees were above the water. The bathtub was too small to fit his outstretched legs and his torso at the same time. To Ulquiorra's side, a cheerful yellow ducky bobbed up and down slowly with every slight ripple of the water.

The Arrancar was secretly very proud of himself. Ulquiorra had flawlessly executed the human art of 'pooping,' just as Orihime had explained (in her own way), demonstrating once again his warrior prowess when faced with adversity. Ulquiorra was confident that he could handle anything his worthless gigai threw at him.

There was, however, that one condition that had not yet been rectified. Urahara had told him that if he had any problems getting used to the Material World, he should ask Orihime or someone with authority, like a teacher. The droning principal had advised him the same way. The Arrancar figured it was worth a try…

Ulquiorra mentally went over the events of the day. From the human girl's visit in the morning to Orihime's supper in the evening, the former espada realized that he had made a lot of progress. The grey-eyed girl seemed to trust him, to hold some sort of emotional attachment to him, even. Without even offering an apology, the sins of his past were forgiven by none other than his former captive.

What Ulquiorra found the strangest, however, was that he _enjoyed_ the idea that she had feelings for him. He found himself wanting her to look at him, to talk to him. She drew him in, and the emotionally- distant approach that Ulquiorra had planned to tackle this challenge with was quickly forsaken for a more fulfilling alternative.

The emerald-eyed Arrancar soaked in the water for a long while after washing his hair and body as Orihime had instructed. He reclined in the lukewarm water, unable to think of anything but his Orihime. He never would have thought that someone could smile so much. Her laughter was warm and inviting, her eyes playful and shining, her hair like the fiery halo of an angel…

Dissatisfied with the tepid water, Ulquiorra sat up in the tub and reached for the faucet, thoughts of Orihime's radiance never leaving him…

* * *

Half-way through lunch period, Ichigo had finished filling Tatsuki in on the events of the last few months, and had gone to find Rukia. He didn't really have anything to tell her (hey, he wasn't a messenger), but found himself seeking her out without even being aware of it. He realized this when he found her sitting with Chad and Ishida, and, although he thought it was strange, he just shrugged it off. He wasn't exactly the profound type.

As he strode casually over to his friends' table, Ichigo noticed that something was off. Rukia's eyes were clouded over with… worry? Anxiety? Frustration? Chad was silently staring at something down the street, but there was a certain edginess about him that was out of the ordinary. As for the Quincy, he seemed to be deep in thought, and mumbling something that the others were only half listening to. Joining his nakama at their table, the confused Ichigo asked them what they were looking so freaked out about.

"Orihime seems to have taken Ulquiorra somewhere," Ishida stated simply, his voice clipping. Ichigo's eyes widened, before they were buried beneath his furrowed brow. That was definitely not good. _At least it's not the other way around…_ "I was just thinking whether or not I should pursue them…"

Ichigo leaned over the table and followed Uryuu's gaze down the street, where he saw Orihime holding Ulquiorra's hand and leading him quickly away from the school. Confused, Ichigo leaned back. _That's weird, Inoue never skips class… _

It was then that Ichigo noticed that Rukia, who was sitting across from him, was looking directly at him with purple eyes wide as saucers. For some reason, she looked really shaken up, and he couldn't for the life of him decipher the look in her eyes.

"Oh, ya," Ichigo said, almost as a diversion, looking away quickly. Something weird was going on. "Tatsuki dropped by Inoue's place this morning. Apparently, Ulquiorra wouldn't let her in 'cause Inoue was sleeping. Tatsuki was about to beat the crap outta him, but Urahara appeared outta nowhere and stopped her."

"So Urahara _is_ protecting the Arrancar…" Uryuu's suspicions were confirmed, which meant that Urahara was likely using Ulquiorra as a test subject… The Quincy was contemplating the possible intentions of the troublesome shop owner when something else hit him belatedly. "What? Ulquiorra spent the night at Inoue-san's apartment? He could have killed her!" _Why is this idiot treating this so casually?_

Ichigo scowled at his shouting friend. "Obviously he could've killed her," he stole a glance at Rukia. "But he didn't, so stop yelling."

"Do you not comprehend the gravity of this situation," Ishida shot back, before he calmed himself down. "This is the Cuatro Espada we're talking about! You should show just a _little_ more concern for Inoue-san!"

"Well, there's more." Ichigo, ignoring Ishida's outburst, noticed that Rukia had spaced out on him again, so tried once more to get her attention. "Urahara thinks that Inoue and Ulquiorra are in love."

The moment that the words were spoken, everyone reacted strongly. Rukia's eyes once again became saucers; it was beyond shock, inexplicably, the look on her face was more akin to injury, further confusing Ichigo. Uryuu froze over and bristled, spitting with a mouth full of vitriol the words 'that isn't possible.' Even Yasutora's eyes widened, his jaw dropping slightly.

"What do you think we should do… Rukia," Ichigo baited. Although he would never admit it out loud, the only reason he asked her this, instead of going off and doing whatever he pleased on his own, was because the look on Rukia's face worried him. She seemed to be struggling with something, and it looked like it was tearing her apart. The men at the table waited a long moment for Rukia's response.

"We… should just leave Ulquiorra and Inoue alone for a while," the shinigami murmured, sunlight caught in her raven hair as she raised her eyes to meet Ichigo's expectant gaze. Her violet eyes bore into Ichigo's brown eyes with a flicker of the fierce passion she was known for. "If they are in love, then it's cruel for anyone to try to get between them. They're going to be having enough problems as it is."

"Kuchiki-san, you can't be buying this," Ishida replied, the cool back in his voice. "We have no reason to believe that either of them loves the other." Uryuu was really itching to give that Arrancar a one-way ticket to oblivion. If left as is, the situation could only mean trouble for Orihime.

"I am… absolutely certain… that Inoue loves him." The words seemed difficult for her to say, and, for no apparent reason, Rukia's cheeks blushed a light pink as her gaze drifted cutely to the side. Yasutora smiled knowingly, as Ichigo's scowl intensified. It was at that specific moment that Ichigo realized that he would never understand women.

Rukia wasn't able to look Ichigo in the eye for the rest of the day, and she barely uttered a word to him.

* * *

In the other room, Orihime carefully placed the snacks on the low living room table, fidgeting over their positions and placements. There were salt and vinegar chips topped with red bean paste, Pringles with a dipping sauce of English cream and crushed M&Ms, as well as cheesed pickles. The movie was already in the DVD player, ready for Ulquiorra to emerge from the bath. The ever-grinning Orihime had also brought her big navy comforter to the couch, although not without clumsily bumping into everything in her path.

"Everything's finally ready for Ulquiorra's first movie night," Orihime exclaimed brightly to herself, throwing her hands above her head in celebration, her vibrant hair doing a playful jump. "I hope that he likes the one I bought!"

Choosing the perfect movie had taken a lot of effort. Orihime figured that Ulquiorra would probably only go for a thought-provoking movie, which further limited her choices in the small movie stand of the supermarket. On top of being pressed to return home quickly to feed Ulquiorra, Orihime had to worry about what kind of message the movie conveyed. She didn't want to inadvertently make him feel unwelcome, or make him think that she thought badly of him because he used to be a bad guy, or anything. Orihime had no doubt that Ulquiorra would pick up on all of the film's themes.

Luckily for the redheaded teenager, she had found a picture that seemed to be both thought-provoking and gracious. And on top of that, it was an action movie! Orihime plopped herself down on her fluffy comforter, quite literally bouncing with excitement. She couldn't wait to see how Ulquiorra would react to the film.

A full twenty seconds of restless fidgeting later, Orihime decided that Ulquiorra was taking too long, and made a beeline to the bathroom to investigate.

"Ulquiorra," Orihime called gently from just beyond the bathroom door. "Is everything alright in there?" After ten seconds, when there was no response, the confused redhead gently pressed her ear up against the door. Straining her hearing, Orihime heard the powerful spray of the showerhead's jet, and the occasional sounds of an irregular banging.

Startled by the odd noises, Orihime called out to Ulquiorra in a loud voice, but was replied only by the sound of glass shattering. Her eyes widening, the redhead busted through the unlocked door, almost gasping at the sight before her.

The showerhead was whipping around the small bathroom violently, banging forcefully against the wall of the shower and the glass mirror a few feet away. The cheap utensil was propelled by an obscene amount of scorching water that had already soaked every inch of the room. The washroom was like a sauna, and was clouded by an extreme amount of hot misty steam.

Amidst it all, a startled Ulquiorra was standing a few feet in front of the door in his boxers, seemingly edging towards the door while looking at the scene before him wide-eyed. He was torn between the kill-anything-that-threatens-you attitude of an Espada and the maybe-I-should-call-Orihime attitude of someone who had never before worked an Earth shower.

On impulse, Orihime rushed to Ulquiorra's rescue. The showerhead was known to be unable to handle much water pressure. The grey-eyed girl dashed towards the plastic showerhead, trying to latch onto the tube without getting hit by the head's violent and erratic motion. Water soon soaked the teenager's clothing and hair, the hot spray blinding her momentarily and causing her to jump back. As she retreated, she almost fell backwards on the soaked white tiles. Deciding on a new approach, the redhead hesitantly approached the utensil gone haywire, reaching her arms out when she thought the shower's tube might be within reach.

Ulquiorra, gathering from Orihime's actions that the phenomenon he was witnessing was indeed abnormal, strode quickly to the other end of the washroom and turned the faucet of the tub, effectively cutting off the water. The showerhead went limp just as Orihime, with a burst of resolution, was reaching up to it, and it fell ungracefully on her forehead.

Before the object could reach the floor, however, Ulquiorra turned back around towards Orihime and caught the offending object easily. The showerhead in hand, Ulquiorra looked down at Orihime as if questioning what had just happened. Orihime just squinted, rubbing her head as she mumbled to herself.

"Owie… I-I'm so sorry, Ulquiorra, it's old and does that sometimes. Are you alright? Did it hit you?" The redhead, her eyes wide, finally turned her head shakily towards her guest, to see him standing like a ghost in a cloud of mist. The ghost dropped the shower head.

"It seems that you were the one who was hurt," Ulquiorra answered monotonously as he instinctively reached out his now-empty hand to rub the girl's head. Orihime, her already-wired nerves startled by the sudden action, tried to step back quickly, only to slip on the wet floor with a yelp. In an attempt to catch the stumbling Orihime before she fell, Ulquiorra caught her wrist and tried to pull her back into a vertical position. Tripping yet again, Orihime fell forward towards Ulquiorra this time, causing both to tumble down into the bathtub. They were a mangle of limbs as they careened downwards awkwardly to the sound of Orihime's high-pitched scream. There was a huge splash as the water burst over the edge of the bathtub.

Orihime's eyes were screwed shut, bracing for an impact that never came, and her drenched orange hair covered her eyes. Unaware of her position, Orihime opened her mouth to let out the bath water that she had taken in as she had screamed. The water was squirted out onto Ulquiorra's bare chest as he watched her incredulously.

Sitting up in the steam-filled room, Orihime wiped the water and hair from her face, and then opened her eyes to another shocking sight.

The redhead was straddling the hips of a half-naked, although submerged, Ulquiorra, who was giving her the particular blank glare that conveyed how idiotic he thought she was. His inky black hair was in a mess, strands streaking his face uniformly down to his deep frown. He was still gripping the edges of the bathtub awkwardly, in the same strenuous position that he had gotten himself into by braking Orihime's fall with his body.

Orihime broke out in uncontrollable laughter as the tension in her body was released all at once. Entirely forgetting about being embarrassed, she couldn't help but find humour in the whole situation.

Watching the girl laugh at him to his face, even in such a ridiculous position and with his hair in disarray, Ulquiorra was still able to muster a glare that promised her a slow and painful death.

"What do you think you are doing, Orihime?" Ulquiorra asked, a definite edge in his stiff tone. Orihime just laughed harder, tears of mirth flowing from her eyes as she held her stomach.

"My… shower attacked you!" Orihime managed between gasps for air as she continued to laugh at the helpless Arrancar. "You look so silly!" Orihime ruffled Ulquiorra's hair playfully, ignoring his pointed stare.

Ulquiorra couldn't believe it. No matter how familiar she was becoming with him, she should still possess the common sense not to laugh at him like this.

"Your make-up was washed away," Orihime ventured as she laughed even harder, tenderly wiping away some of the black that was leaking down his cheek. "We'll have to go buy you some of the good water-proof stuff!"

The Arrancar had half a mind to shove a hand through her throat… well, perhaps that was an exaggeration, but Ulquiorra certainly wanted to get back at Orihime for his humiliation. In his perplexing frustration, the pale Arrancar did something that neither he nor Orihime would have ever expected. He splashed Orihime's face, none too playfully, with some of the tub water. There was an incredulous silence, as Orihime stared at the soaked Ulquiorra with wide grey eyes.

"Stop mocking me immediately," Ulquiorra uttered dryly, reinforcing his action. Another silence.

"Ulquiorra, did you just _splash_ me?" Orihime spoke with a blank face and a tone so serious that it was eerie coming out of her. And then that mischievous twinkle appeared in her eye, as she cracked a playful smile, as if she had just accepted a challenge. "I, the master of water paintball?"

"Wha-," the confused Ulquiorra started, but was interrupted by an abrupt, faster-than-lighting splash in the face. Ulquiorra, clearly not amused, wiped the water out of his eyes just in time to see Orihime dashing from the bathroom. _It's about time that I teach this woman who her master is…_

Ulquiorra rose from the bathtub and strode out of the washroom with a warrior's resolution that didn't match his wet appearance, or his near-nakedness. The moment he got to the hall, he raised his right hand instinctively to catch an object that flew at him from the kitchen. Looking down, Ulquiorra saw that it was a pink plastic… something. "The rules of the game are simple: whoever gets their opponent the wettest wins! Your base is the bathroom; mine is the kitchen. Begin!"

Promptly, a weak squirt of water was just able to reach his frowning face from beyond the kitchen's island. The top of a head of orange hair popped up for just a moment to check her aim. Ulquiorra looked down at the bright pink object in his hand, and he knew what he had to do.

_Very well, Orihime. Never mind that we are both already soaked to the bone… I will defeat you at your own game, under your own terms. And then my authority over you will be absolute..._

* * *

Entering his room silently, almost as if it didn't belong to him, Ichigo walked over to his desk and set down the plate in his hands. Surprisingly, he didn't hear any stirring within the walls, not even from Kon. A moment later, he discovered why. The loud-yet-lovable Mod soul was currently rocking back and forth in the corner of the room, fear rolling off of him in waves.

"Wow, what happened to you?" Ichigo called from the other side of the room, leaning casually over his desk. He looked down at his furry friend with a curious scowl.

"Co-co-come closer," Kon stuttered dramatically in a whisper. "It was… horrible!"

"What happened? Did you do something to make Rukia flip out at you again?" Ichigo already knew the answer, but couldn't help asking. He had never seen Kon look so shaken up. _What's wrong with people today?_

"Shhh!" Kon hushed vigorously, jumping up to grip Ichigo by the collar, then whispered conspiratorially in his ear. "_She_ doesn't want to be disturbed."

Ichigo gripped Kon by the head, pulling off the plushy's bear-trap-like grip on his shirt. "Ya, I kinda figured that."

"You don't understand, you idiot!" Kon pressed while struggling under Ichigo's firm grasp. "Something must've gone horribly, terribly wrong! There is no other reason for such cold words…"

"You probably just got on her nerves," Ichigo concluded after a moment, throwing Kon over his shoulder carelessly, and then letting himself fall over onto his bed. Man, was he tired.

"But I didn't do anything wrong!" Ichigo shot the stuffed lion a glare.

"Well, I didn't do anything out of the ordinary!" Kon crossed his plush arms stubbornly, sitting on the floor by Ichigo's bed. A few moments passed in silence.

"Ya didn't do something stupid like feel up Orihime-chan in front of Nee-san, did you?" Another silence.

"What?" Ichigo exploded, red to the tips of his ears. "Why would I do something like that?"

Kon shrugged. "'Cause she's hot?"

"What does Inoue have to do with any of this anyway?" Ichigo breathed deep, wary that Rukia might bust through the closet door at any minute and beat him to a bloody pulp for being too loud.

"Isn't it obvious? You do this daring romantic rescue and sweep Nee-san off her feet, and then you go behind her back and do the same thing with Orihime-chan! Nee-san must be jealous," Kon explained matter-of-factly. Almost as an afterthought, he added, "You're a two-timer."

"Stop talking nonsense," Ichigo cringed at the picture Kon was painting. Damn Kon for dragging him into his perverted fantasies. "Rukia's not stupid enough to think like you. Whatever's bothering her, it definitely isn't that."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure, my friend. I've seen the way that Nee-san looks at you…" Kon raised an eyebrow suggestively at the embarrassed redhead.

"Alright, that's it, you're coming out." With no more as warning, Ichigo shot his hand down Kon's plush throat and extracted his soul pill. Placing the capsule carefully on his night side table, Ichigo turned off the light, allowing the night to flood the room. Slowly, the Vizard undressed, feeling hyperaware of Rukia presence just beyond the sliding closet doors. What could possibly be bothering her so much?

Sighing, the redhead crawled back into bed, exhausted over the day's drama. He turned to face the wall of his room, away from the closet.

"If you get hungry tonight, there's a plate of teriyaki noodles waiting for you out here." With those words, clear in the darkness, Ichigo closed his eyes and tried to force his worries out of his mind.

* * *

"Aha!" Orihime shouted triumphantly as she recklessly rounded the corner of the hall, shooting water out of her water gun madly.

"You missed again," a voice sounded calmly from behind her. Orihime swung around instantly, but she was too late. Ulquiorra poured a bucket of water over her head, distracting her for long enough for him to ghost silently back to the bathtub for more ammo.

The redhead dragged herself ruggedly back behind the kitchen island, hoping that it would provide some level of cover. Orihime leaned against the side of it, breathing heavily as she brushed the hair out of her determined grey eyes. Anyone who had ever played sports with Orihime knew that once she got into the game, there was no stopping her.

Sensing something, Orihime's head shot up, and, of course, Ulquiorra was ready for another round. His emerald eyes impassive, despite the adrenaline pumping through his veins, he let the water in the bucket trickle menacingly onto Orihime's surprised round face. Jumping to her feet, the redhead threw herself onto the sink before her in a flurry of orange and clutched the water jet tightly, pointing it, in a gesture just as menacing, at the Arrancar.

"You're done, Ulquiorra," Orihime declared with a victorious smile, as she tightened her grasp on the object she held like a gun. In a swift motion, she turned on the tap to full blast. She was soaking wet; if she didn't get a good shot in now, Ulquiorra would be the winner.

"I will never lose to you," Ulquiorra shot back tonelessly as he positioned himself for the final attack, his eyes set on his kill. Those eyes of hers would always make him rise to her challenge, and whoever came out of this last battle the victor would be the one to claim ultimate triumph.

Ulquiorra made the first move. With all the skill and grace of a former espada, he dove over the kitchen island, and pushed down Orihime's armed hands. Now leaning over her, effectively cornering his target and eliminating the possibility of escape, with his other hand, Ulquiorra swung the bucket of water towards the girl, throwing the water out onto her. At the same moment, however, Orihime stealthily snuck her hand into the sink and pulled out her secret ace: a huge bowl now overflowing with the tap's water, which she flung at Ulquiorra with full force.

When the dust (or, rather, the water) settled, both Ulquiorra and Orihime were soaked to the bone and panting for air. Their faces were just inches apart, and big droplets of water flowed down their faces and dripped from their hair, noses and chins.

"Should we call it a tie," Orihime questioned between pants, blinking away the water drops on her long eyelashes. She felt totally drained; as much as she wanted to, she was unable to continue the game. Ulquiorra must have been the toughest opponent Orihime had ever faced (which made sense, she supposed, seeing as how he _was_ the former forth espada and all).

"For now." Ulquiorra, despite his unprecedented desire to claim complete and absolute victory, knew when it was time to stop. His gigai was stubbornly complaining over all the stain he was putting it through. If he were in his true form, however, Orihime would never have stood a chance against him, Ulquiorra asserted internally, as he nursed the wound in his newly-relevant ego.

Beyond all of that, though, Ulquiorra was looking forward to his next round against Orihime. That determined look of hers had never failed to make his blood boil, and he was glad that he was finally able to actually _act_ on his aggression on equal ground with her. Even better, she never backed down once. She had no one to protect her against him, and she didn't want anyone to protect her. That was the Orihime Ulquiorra wanted to see.

Ulquiorra leaned further over the counter as he sharply took in a breath of air. It was then that he noticed that Orihime was swaying ever so slightly, her eyes half lidded.

"I'm hungry," Orihime decided as she slipped off of the counter, out of Ulquiorra's grasp. He gazed at her questioningly, and realized that she looked really tired.

Shaking off the thought, the slender Arrancar strode back to the bathroom to get dressed. As he did so, he noticed the state of the small apartment. It looked every bit like the battle-ground it was. Furniture was tumbled around chaotically, the floor was littered with water guns, bowls, glasses, and other weapons of war, and, of course, everything was soaking wet.

After taking his time to dry himself off thoroughly and finally getting the rest of his cloths on, Ulquiorra put significant effort into washing off all of the black make-up on his face. He did not want Orihime laughing at him again. He had never really minded it when Grimmjow or the other Arrancar had laughed at him, but somehow for Orihime it was different. He had burned with an unfamiliar feeling: embarrassment. Even though he knew that Orihime had never meant to be insulting, that she was just being playful, and that, in any case, he shouldn't allow her to have that measure of control over him, Ulquiorra couldn't help it.

When he was done, he found Orihime, in pink pyjamas, curled up on the couch, wrapped in her comforter and snacking on some of the leftovers from supper. A simple white towel held up her dripping wet hair in a twist. When the grey-eyed girl noticed Ulquiorra coming down the hall, she beckoned him over with an inviting smile.

"I almost forgot!" Orihime, the picture of ease, moved over on the couch, making room for Ulquiorra to sit down next to her. "I prepared everything for a movie night. Do you want to watch with me, Ulquiorra?"

"A movie?" Ulquiorra was familiar with the word; Aizen had what Gin had called a 'movie room' where he had spent hours on end watching footage of battles past, studying the enemies and their tactics. Ulquiorra couldn't help but scoff at this; for all his planning and his overbearing confidence, the dictator had failed miserably.

Ulquiorra had a hunch, however, that, judging from Orihime's peaceful demeanour, the human definition of 'movie' was slightly different from Gin's.

"Yup," Orihime sang with a sweet smile. She lifted the comforter off the other side of the couch, motioning for Ulquiorra to come sit with her beneath the navy blanket. "It's a Western movie, and it seems really good. It's about this terrorist that fights his government for the freedom of the people of his country. I think that you will be able to learn a lot about humanity from it!" Ulquiorra just stared for another moment, before taking his seat next to Orihime and allowing her to wrap him in the comforter.

"Why do humans watch 'movies,' Orihime," Ulquiorra questioned, as he resisted the urge to snuggle into the couch's warmth. "Ichimaru spoke of movies as an assembly of battle footage."

"Well, that's not really how it is here, unless it's a documentary on World War II, or something." Orihime reached over the side of the couch to hit the light switch, and then turned around to face Ulquiorra completely. Her eyes sparkled in the faint blue light of the television screen. "For humans, movies are an expression of their culture. A good movie is like a snapshot of what it means to be human."

"I see that humans are rather self-centered," Ulquiorra remarked monotonously. Orihime brought her index finger to her chin and inclined her head upward, considering his statement.

"No… I think of it more that, like, to understand anything in the human world, you have to understand how humans are. It all comes down to human nature, you see. But most movies that try to capture that end up failing miserably, so filmmakers usually stick to the boring, everyday stuff." As she spoke, Orihime's thoughtful attitude dissipated, and she suddenly became very excited. "The best movies, though, are action movies! You should see the cool things that people can do with special effects!"

"After all the fighting you have seen, you can still watch something like that and take pleasure from it?" The Arrancar's question was serious.

"Well, I suppose something will be different, but I hope that I'll still be able to enjoy action movies despite everything." Orihime diverted her eyes; she had never considered that. The last time she had seen a movie had been before she had left for Soul Society. Between then and now, there had simply been no time to. Between then and now, she had been _kidnapped_. And now she was about to watch "V for Vendetta" with her kidnapper…

"In any case, the 'action' you have seen on the battlefield should be much more enthralling than anything a human and a computer can construct." Ulquiorra sensed a downturn in Orihime's mood, and for some reason it was making him uncomfortable. His emerald eyes focused on her troubled grey eyes. "Unfortunately for you, however, you will not be able to watch a close fight again for a long time. All of your nakama are past the point where a Hollow in this world could inflict any serious harm upon them."

Orihime had to giggle at that. It was almost like he was trying to comfort her. "That _is_ unfortunate. Are you sure that you don't want to fight anyone? You were here only one day and you already managed to make everyone angry with you…"

"That was only because they failed to understand my purpose here," Ulquiorra replied briskly. He was going to have to face all those irritating people again the next day at school. Why was it his fate to have to mingle with trash?

"Well, you have to understand, they're just worried about me. You can't blame them for caring about their friend." Orihime watched Ulquiorra in the darkness for any reaction, but the only movement he made was to draw his legs up onto the couch. He looked more laid-back than Orihime had ever seen him.

"I suppose that that would not be incongruous with their characters. Your nakama obviously hold 'friendship' in high regard." Ulquiorra repositioned himself beneath the comforters so that he was facing

the redhead. "Although I cannot relate to the depth of their concern, I understand that you would be unhappy if there were to be conflict between them and I. For that reason, I will not instigate anything."

"I don't think you _need_ to do anything to instigate their anger," Orihime replied with a giggle. "Just the way that you've been so close to me has gotten them nervous. But I guess that that's their problem." The redhead shrugged casually before looking up to Ulquiorra questioningly.

"But, Ulquiorra," Orihime started, genuinely intrigued. "Why me? You said that you were drawn to me from the beginning, and that's why you convinced Aizen to kidnap me, but why were you drawn to _me_, of all people?"

"You, 'of all people'? Are you blind?" Ulquiorra stared at Orihime with the incredulous variation of his blank glare. "Your beauty is unparalleled."

"Wh-what?" Orihime stuttered in shock, as a blush rose to her face. "Th-that's flattering, but are you saying that you kidnapped me because you think I'm pretty?"

"You could say that," Ulquiorra agreed, as if it didn't make him sound like a crazed stalker. "But it wasn't your beauty that fascinated me. It was your eyes."

"My eyes?" Orihime questioned, unsure what to make of these new revelations. "What's so special about my eyes?"

"Your eyes are so expressive that I felt that, by looking into them, I could see into your very soul," the Arrancar explained as his emerald eyes delved into Orihime's, as if to punctuate his point. "There is something so inherently entrancing about the display of emotions dancing in your eyes. I feel as if I am unable to look away.

"I knew from the moment I first saw you that I had to have you," Ulquiorra continued in a hushed tone, as Orihime gazed back at him with a blush on her face. They leaned unconsciously towards each other. "Since then, not a minute goes by where I am not reminded of you. Your image haunted me until I finally possessed you, but, even then, I was unable to let go of my obsession. As it turned out, your overly-expressive eyes were a cruel irony."

"What do you mean?" Orihime murmured softly in the dark.

"No matter how much I sought to understand your essence, it always eluded me. Whenever I thought that I understood you, you would surprise me." Ulquiorra raised a skeletal hand to Orihime's cheek, and gently traced the line of her jaw. "Even now, you amaze me. I never would have thought you capable of such strategy and fearless execution."

"Hah, I really don't know what to make of all of this," Orihime admitted with a nervous giggle. "But, to tell you the truth, I've been thinking about you non-stop for the last twenty-four hours, but that might have just been because I've been so worried about you…" Her voice drifted off, and there was a pregnant silence.

"I would also never have thought, Orihime, that you would be strong enough to overcome the fear and pain I subjected you to so quickly." His voice was nothing but a murmur in the half-dark, almost as if it wasn't even there. "I must commend you."

"Thank you," Orihime answered, her eyes shining. "And thank you for today, Ulquiorra. Seeing you in such a different situation, all while you're the same person as always, it really made me feel like I can believe in my convictions. I knew all along that I was right about you." The two just gazed deeply into each others eyes for another long moment, before Orihime broke the silence.

"So, are you ready to start the movie?"

* * *

Although it took a while, Ichigo was finally able to relax, his exhaustion forcing his spirit into a heavy slumber. However, just as he soon as he was able to fall asleep, it seemed, he was awake again, staring blankly at the ceiling above him. Ichigo was still tired, but it no longer seemed overpowering; instead, he felt like he was dreaming.

The teenager was wondering what had woken him up when he noticed a figure standing by his window. She was slender in her childish pyjamas and graceful in the gentle moonlight. Her indigo eyes gazed at the moon as her feminine brow furrowed slightly. Ichigo no longer saw any confusion in her eyes; instead, a myriad of other emotions could be seen, changing in such rapid succession that the one blended into the other.

"Oh, Ichigo," Rukia murmured, with just a hint of surprise, as she turned her head slowly to face her friend. "I'm sorry that I woke you."

"It's alright, Rukia," the Vizard murmured back, as he sat up and tried to clear the sleep from his mind. "What're you doing up so late?"

Rukia turned back to the window, closing her big eyes despondently with an audible sigh. "I'm just… thinking."

"What have you been thinking about that's so terrible that you had to ignore me all day?" Ichigo questioned after a moment, a light scowl on his face. "You know that you can talk to me about anything."

Glancing back at Ichigo sadly, Rukia smiled an uncharacteristically weak smile. "This is different, Ichigo."

"How is it different," Ichigo questioned firmly, rising from his bed. "You're worried about something. What is it?"

"I can't tell you," Rukia replied, somewhat defensively.

"Why?" Ichigo was becoming increasingly frustrated. "Did something happen in Soul Society? With Byakuya?"

"No, nothing happened in Soul Society. And Nii-sama's fine," Rukia looked back out the window. It was painful for her to see Ichigo's worried face, and it was all because of those feelings that she couldn't quell…

"Then, what is it?" Ichigo asked again, struggling to lower his voice to a whisper. Now that Rukia was actually talking to him, he wasn't going to let her slip away. Suddenly, the Vizard remembered what Chad had told him earlier that day. "Is it because of what Inoue told you in class today?"

Rukia's eyes widened. "How do you know about that?"

"Chad told me," Ichigo stated. "You've been worrying everybody, you know. Don't you remember the promise we made in Hueco Mundo?" Ichigo took a step closer to his friend, scowl firmly in place. He paused, waiting for Rukia to meet his steady gaze.

"We're in this together. Until the end," Ichigo proclaimed in a firm tone, his unshaken eyes and stature doing more than his words to convey the depth of his certainty and sincerity. Rukia closed her eyes yet again, crossing her arms demurely.

"Those words have a different meaning for me than they do for you," Rukia replied in a hushed tone. "And that's exactly what has been bothering me."

"Hun?"

"Ichigo," Rukia called out suddenly, more of her usual assertiveness in her voice. "What do you think of Ulquiorra?"

"I don't trust him at all," Ichigo asserted immediately. "I don't care what Urahara says, there's no way that guy's just here 'cause he likes Inoue. We can't really do anything until we talk to Inoue about it, though. But what does that have to do with anything?"

"What if," Rukia started again, her violet eyes combing over Ichigo's face, analysing his every reaction. "They _are_ in love? Would you approve?"

"Well… uh," Ichigo was taken aback by the question. Were they even _considering_ that as a possibility? "I don't know, I seriously can't imagine that guy having actual feelings… I didn't see anything in him that would make me think that he's capable of that kind of thing."

"What if he _is_ capable of feeling, and he's nicer than he seems to be? Would you approve then?" Rukia demanded steadfastly.

"Well, if he turns out to be less of a bastard than he seems to be," Ichigo decided, unsure where this was all going. "And he's the one she wants, than… sure?"

"It doesn't bother you that he's an Arrancar and she's a human," Rukia questioned again, brow steady.

"Well, he's in a gigai, so being an Arrancar doesn't really have much to do with it…"

"But the fact is that, at heart, he is an Arrancar. He doesn't belong here. He's a Hollow and she's a Plus," Rukia pressed, even under Ichigo's confused frown.

"Well, I'm saying that that doesn't really matter, not to me at least. I mean, Grimmjow isn't really that much different than Kenpachi, or, really, anyone from the 11th Division," the redheaded Vizard replied. "Where are you going with this, Rukia?"

"What do you think of me, Ichigo?" Rukia gazed up at Ichigo with eyes full of apprehension. Silence reigned.

"Geez, Rukia, as if you don't know…" Ichigo grumbled, feeling slightly uncomfortable after getting over his initial surprise. It wasn't easy for him to tell a girl that she's probably the most important person in his life without making it sound like some sort of love confession. "You're… a really important friend to me. You're my nakama."

Rukia smiled, a flimsy, fleeting thing. Really, what had she been expecting him to say? Whispering a 'thank you,' the shinigami drifted back to the closet, and slid the door shut behind her without looking back.

Ichigo sat back down on his bed, wondering what in the world had just happened. Maybe it was just because he was tired, but the conversation had made absolutely no sense to him.

Shaking his head, the grumbling Ichigo got beneath his sky blue blankets, deciding he'll think about it the next day.

* * *

"Aww, that's so sad!" Orihime murmured sadly into her tissue as she dried her tears. "He didn't have to die!" A sob turned into a yawn.

"I would argue that he did," Ulquiorra challenged monotonously. He found it very odd that, unlike the last time he had heard Orihime cry, he did not feel like his insides were being torn to shreds. "He was an element of that era just as much as the High Chancellor was. He needed to die along with the era that he shaped."

"But…" Orihime tried to get her retort past her tired lips. Her eyelids were becoming heavy, and the tears weren't helping. "It's not fair. And eras…" She was interrupted by a yawn.

"You should sleep." Ulquiorra watched as the already half-asleep redhead leaned against him on the couch, practically snuggling against his side as she stretched out into a more horizontal position.

"Aren't so clear-cut… that…" Orihime drifted off, her words becoming an incoherent muddle. Ulquiorra was content to just watch as the tension in her brow slowly dissolved, and her breathing became deep and regular.

It was already rather late, for a school night at least, but Ulquiorra wasn't tired. He knew that Orihime was undoubtedly trying to convey a message by choosing that particular movie. His mind was alert as he tried to decode the innocent redhead's intentions. After a few minutes, Ulquiorra realized that he wouldn't be falling asleep any time soon.

The slender Arrancar rose from his cosy, although too-warm, seat on the couch, and scooped up both Orihime and the comforter she was wrung up in. Ulquiorra was detecting a pattern; it was the second night in a row that he was tucking her in. The teenager idly wondered who had taken care of Orihime before he had come along.

Ulquiorra gently placed Orihime onto her bed, careful that she be totally comfortable. Even in the darkness of the bedroom, the emerald-eyed Arrancar could have sworn that the angel was alight. No matter where she was, what she was doing, Orihime always shined. Ulquiorra turned to leave the girl to sleep in peace.

"But, what about us, Ulquiorra?" Orihime's small, distant voice reached him, full of sadness. Ulquiorra walked silently back to the sleeping girl's side and looked down at her with eyes clouded with longing.

"We were spectators, Orihime," Ulquiorra whispered, allowing his fingertips to gently graze the curve of the young woman's cheek. "This era belongs to us."

With those soft-spoken words, the Arrancar ghosted slowly out the door, looking back at the doorway to see that Orihime was once again fast asleep.


	9. Temptation

"Erica…" The soft murmur was muffled by sleep. Silence.

"What do you… want to give… me?" The girl sighed.

* * *

Orihime snuggled deeper into her pillow, a soft smile curling her rose lips. Her cushion was somewhat firmer than what she was used to, but it was also _so_ abnormally comfortable. The redhead smiled. It was warm, too. Sniffing, she noticed that it even smelt good. Orihime let out a sigh, soaking up the blissful feeling and the sensation of the morning sunlight on her back. She felt like she could stay like this forever.

Suddenly, however, an unfamiliar beat broke through Orihime's comfort zone. Furrowing her brow, she tried to block it out by pressing her ear harder against her pillow, her eyes screwed shut. The slender teenager wiggled around beneath her comforter in frustration, then let out a soft groan into her pillow. She really didn't want to wake up…

"_Sokoni daremo ga hohoemu hana ga saite iyotomo…_" What kind of song was this? What happened to her Lil'B CD? Orihime let out another groan, mumbling "Rangiku-san" under her breath. She had known all along that the busty shinigami had her eyes on that CD…

Orihime, still forcing her eyes shut, lied still for the rest of the song, listening. It was her habit to stay in bed for the first song when her alarm went off at 7 am. She drew on the upbeat rhythms and lyrics for the energy to hit the ground running in the morning with a smile on her face. Unfortunately, nothing about this particular song could be characterized as 'upbeat.' On the contrary, it was actually freaking her out. _"Destroy your absolute soul"? What a disturbing song…_

Deciding she should wake up and start getting ready for school, Orihime stretched her arms out above her head. Arching her back and sticking her tummy out, the redhead's abdomen unexpectedly made contact with something that was hard, but definitely _not _the wall. The redhead's eyes flew open to the sight of bright green reptilian eyes staring directly at her.

"Kyaaa!" Orihime shrieked as she tried to fly from the pale man's grasp, throwing herself a full four inches onto the wall behind her. "Ul-Ulquiorra?"

"Good morning, Orihime," Ulquiorra intoned calmly, not the least bit perturbed. His right arm was beneath Orihime's head, apparently being used as a pillow, and his left hand was hung casually over Orihime's round hip, offering the occasional stroke.

"G-Good morning, Ulquiorra," Orihime greeted politely, her face flushed. "Um… What are you doing here?"

"I was sleeping, and after I awoke a moment ago, I watched as you slept," the Arrancar commented blandly, mildly confused but mostly amused by Orihime's flustered expression.

Orihime couldn't believe it. She was already having enough trouble keeping herself from thinking about him in _that_ way, what with the dreams, the fantasies, and the very naughty, very not-Orihime desires that would tug at her in his presence. Ulquiorra was forbidden territory, and yet, here he was, already sleeping with her after one day of friendship! And the worse part was that it felt _so good_ to be in his arms.

Sure, they were friends now, but there were still limits! Perhaps, Orihime thought, she had been too open, too casual about their relationship? How could she have let her guard drop so easily? Moreover, how could she let her guard drop before _Ulquiorra_, of all people, the first, and so far only, person to inspire actual _lust_ in her?

As these thoughts tumbled over frantically in her head, the redhead's eyes took in the sight of her roommate of their own accord. His dishevelled hair and his still-sleepy green eyes were unmistakably cute, whilst Ulquiorra's toned chest, only slightly eclipsed beneath his open, button-down shirt, spread heat over Orihime's body.

"Ha-ha, how about some breakfast?" Orihime scrambled off the bed, rising unsteadily to her feet. Looking away from Ulquiorra's puzzled glare, the redhead forced herself to take deep breaths. _It's alright... We were both dressed... Nothing happened... This is all a misunderstanding…_ _Think of Kurosaki-kun…_

When she finally worked up the nerve to face her new roommate, who was still sprawled casually on her small bed, she was shocked by the look in his emerald eyes. His lips didn't twitch at all, he wasn't laughing, but he might as well have been. Although someone off the street would never notice it, Orihime could tell that Ulquiorra looked thoroughly amused. She couldn't believe it.

Catching her increasingly incredulous look, Ulquiorra rose gracefully from the small bed and walked out the room, shooting the grey-eyed girl an almost teasing glance as he brushed past her. Why was he so happy? Why was he so happy to see her freaked out? After a split second of shock, Orihime followed the slender Arrancar, and found him taking left-overs out of the fridge.

It was only after she found Ulquiorra, digging through her fridge in his underwear as if he owned the place, that Orihime noticed that something was a little different about her apartment. Actually, a lot was different. All of the little knickknacks that she had hanging around had entirely vanished. Although all her furniture, while rearranged, was still there, the living room and dinning room seemed bare somehow, the familiar picture frames and paintings absent from the stark yellow walls. Everything was arranged very neatly, and not a speck of dust could be found anywhere. Overnight, Orihime's apartment had been Las Nochified.

"Ulquiorra," Orihime asked, somewhere between disbelief and irritation. "Did you do this?"

"Yes," Ulquiorra replied simply, handing a plate of custard and red bean paste onigiri to the dazed girl. "There was too much clutter. I think it is better as it is now." There was a moment of silence as Ulquiorra took a seat and began eating his breakfast.

"Are you sure you weren't the one who constructed my cell?" Orihime turned around, irritation quickly winning over, to look Ulquiorra in the eye, her brow furrowed slightly. Ulquiorra, impassive as ever, looked back undaunted. "Of course I am certain. I have no reason to lie to you."

"Then why is it that my apartment looks like a coloured version of Las Noches?" Orihime's eyes held a hint of challenge, as she firmly decided that she needed to draw the line. Ulquiorra didn't miss a beat.

"I prefer this style, and your complaining will not deter me from modifying this space as I will." The statement was followed by a thirty second stare-down. Orihime yielded first, closing her eyes with a sigh and deciding that there must be a better way to make Ulquiorra understand. Communication was essential, especially since it was impossible for anyone to beat the ever-glaring Arrancar in a blinking contest.

"The food is cold."

Orihime could have sworn that the casual yet expectant words made a vein on her forehead pop.

* * *

The redhead locked the apartment door, and took a deep breath as she faced her new roommate. She had just had a good twenty minutes to calm herself down as she had gotten ready for school. It was starting out to be a very rough morning. It had helped to see Ulquiorra hovering over the bathroom sink, looking very frustrated as he tried to get the black make-up to cover his green tear-streaks. Orihime hadn't been completely successful in stifling a giggle, and Ulquiorra's embarrassed glare had served only to further lighten the redhead's mood.

Now, said redhead was ready to teach Ulquiorra about how to live peacefully in the human world. They had just had their first argument, but Orihime decided that it was only because of a simple miscommunication.

Now, to be clear, Orihime's first real argument had been when her brother had bought her the six-pointed hair clips just before he had died. The whole experience had made the redhead afraid of conflict, rejecting all forms of argument for fear that the past would repeat itself. Over time, this had made Orihime a very non-confrontational person, to the point she was practically a doormat.

Ulquiorra had been the first in a long time to suffer from Orihime's anger. Since that moment a couple of days earlier, Orihime had grown from the adversity that she lived through, and was now ready to fight to make sure that Ulquiorra was left unharmed.

That was what had happened the day earlier with her spat with Uryuu. It was her first actual fight with a friend, and Orihime didn't feel good about it. In the end, the fight only ended when she saw that

Ulquiorra was about to fall over and, while taking care of the ailing Arrancar, had all but forgotten about Uryuu and their argument. She didn't even know if he was still angry at her…

_This_ argument, however, was different. With Ishida, Orihime was certain that, with sufficient persuasion, she could get him to at least agree not to kill the former espada. Ulquiorra, on the other hand, was more… stubborn. Not to mention that Material World common sense wasn't exactly his forte.

For good luck, Orihime implored Fate to retract Ulquiorra's extraordinarily unique talent at making her angry. The redhead was usually a very easy-going girl; she was the kind of girl that just couldn't say no, that couldn't put her foot down. However, it seemed that whenever the emerald-eyed former espada was involved, a great many of the little things that he did irked her so much that she was actually having trouble _containing_ her anger.

Following the willowy teenager down the steps, Orihime put on her brightest smile. "So, Ulquiorra, I was thinking that we should have a little talk on the way to school today!"

The Arrancar's emerald eyes slid to meet Orihime's. "Very well. What is it that you wish to discuss?"

"Well," Orihime started, hoping that her carefully-considered act was believable. "Why don't we discuss human manners? Courtesy." Ulquiorra just glared in response.

"You see, my Arrancar friend," the redhead explained with a delicate index finger raised. "There are certain actions that, to humans, are socially unacceptable. For example, public urination." Ulquiorra continued to glare, not liking at all where this was going.

"As someone who wants to live in the human world, you need to be aware of your place in society. You are a citizen, a student, a friend, and a guest in my home," Orihime explained gently, trying very hard to get her point across without sounding patronizing. "Ulquiorra, do you know how a guest should behave?"

"What are you trying to say, Orihime," Ulquiorra finally spoke. "Are you suggesting that my conduct is unbefitting of my status?"

"In a sense, yes," Orihime agreed, her smile dropping somewhat. "In the human world, guests are supposed to respect the property of their hosts. It isn't nice to rearrange the stuff in someone else's home."

"You are forgetting one thing. I am not a guest." The pallid teenager stopped walking.

"Well, the same thing applies to roommates, Ulquiorra…" Orihime involuntarily shrunk back against his suddenly-intense glare.

"I am not your roommate, either." Ulquiorra contradicted, moving closer to Orihime until they were standing toe to toe. As he did while the redhead was asleep, the former espada wove his skeletal hands through Orihime's hair.

Trapped not by Ulquiorra but by her own suddenly raging desires, Orihime only looked up in total awe, her breath coming in shallow intakes. Slowly, the Arrancar pulled back the orange curtain of hair and whispered seductively in the girl's ear. "I am your master."

Instead of being outraged at the statement, Orihime could feel herself melt. The girl's overactive imagination conjured images of leather bindings, chains and whips. She could see herself kneeling before him as he sat regally on an impromptu throne, him glaring down on her as she begged him to allow her to please him…

Turning beat red, even before Ulquiorra's mouth made contact with her ear, Orihime hastily pushed the Arrancar back and pointed at him accusingly. "You!"

"Hm?" Ulquiorra hummed deeply, approaching again to nuzzle Orihime's neck. He couldn't seem to hold himself back.

"You're the Eternal Ruler!" To the odd accusation, Ulquiorra just cocked an eyebrow. "Oh my goodness, this is so wrong! Why do I keep dreaming about you?" _Why do I keep thinking these things about you? Why does everything revolve around you? Why do I want you so badly?_

… _I'm so sorry, Kurosaki-kun._

"That's it," Orihime looked up at the Arrancar, eyes full of determination despite the crushing feeling in her chest. He was tempting her, tempting her in a way that she shouldn't be tempted. She belonged to Kurosaki Ichigo. Ulquiorra had to know his place. He had to keep his distance. "You have to stop! You're not allowed to just touch me whenever you want! Who do you think you are? You can stay in my apartment with me _if_ you swear to keep your hands off me and my stuff, and stop acting as if you own me."

Ulquiorra's eyes widened in shock. He had never seen Orihime so furious, and the sight was mesmerizing. At an unrelenting pace, the girl continued. "Because you don't own me. I belong to myself and only myself, always did and always will. So shape up or else –" The redhead was abruptly interrupted by Ulquiorra's lips on her own. His arms circled around her greedily as Orihime tried to object around his moving mouth.

Orihime's monumental will crumbled to dust when she felt his tongue licking her lips, and she couldn't help but moan as she pushed her chest up against his. She opened her mouth to deepen the kiss, and Ulquiorra promptly ravaged her humid orifice with the passion of a typhoon. Orihime's fingers twined in the willowy man's raven hair, pulling him even closer if it was at all possible.

Acting solely on his desire, guided by instinct, Ulquiorra pushed Orihime off the empty street and up against a tall wooden fence. Still kissing passionately, the Arrancar's arms slid down the redhead's curves and tightly grasped her thighs, his hands slipping beneath the grey cloth of the uniform and massaging their way up the soft flesh. His mind eclipsed of where this instinct was leading him, one of Ulquiorra's fingers unintentionally swiped the soft spot between Orihime's thighs, and he was surprised to find it wet.

Looking down quizzically, although the view was blocked by Orihime's breasts, Ulquiorra registered too late the fury in the redhead's eyes. With all her strength, Orihime pushed the Arrancar away and then slapped him right across the face. Ulquiorra looked up, surprise written on his features.

"What the hell do you think you're doing," Orihime shouted, her heart beating furiously. Her veins were coursing with desire unlike anything she had ever felt. Disgusted with Ulquiorra, and especially with herself, Orihime realized that he could have just had sex with her right then and there on the side of the street and she would have relished every moment of it. What in the world was happening to her?

"What was I just telling you? _Hands off_," Orihime emphasized, her pure fury forcing Ulquiorra to step back half a foot. "I can't handle you doing this to me! You can't just do whatever you want, touching me like that, making me –"

"I didn't see you putting up much of a fight," Ulquiorra commented blandly, his eyes still half-lidded and sparking with desire. "I would say that you enjoyed it as much as I did."

"That doesn't matter! It's wrong, it's totally wrong! We can't do that kind of thing! Ever!" Orihime shouted desperately, freaking out. What would her friends think? What would Tatsuki say? And what about Ichigo? Didn't she love him? Shouldn't all her loyalty be with him?

Angry and confused, Orihime straightened her cloths and walked away, missing Ulquiorra's disconsolate expression. His heart heavy for reasons he couldn't understand, the Arrancar followed Orihime at a distance.

He realized belatedly what he was trying to do to her.

* * *

During the whole walk to school, Orihime's mind was working tirelessly as she tried to figure out just what was wrong with her. She had let Ulquiorra touch her, kiss her, feel her in places that no man was supposed to touch until she was married to him (and by him, she meant Ichigo. _Ichigo_!).

She had just wanted to set him straight, to keep him from going over the line in his outsider's ignorance. Why did he have to kiss her? Why did he _want _to? Could it be that he liked her _that_ way, that he had always liked her that way? What was Ulquiorra thinking?

Moreover, what was Orihime thinking? This wasn't the first time that Ulquiorra approached her like that. Why had she never told him to stop? Why did she welcome his touches, enjoying the sensation of his fingers on her skin and his breath in her face? Why did she not feel violated, but instead invigorated? In short, why was it that Orihime was an equal contributor to all the sexual tension in the air?

Orihime was a couple of paces into the school property when she looked back to check that Ulquiorra was still behind her. She had done this a couple of times on the walk there, each time berating herself for continuing to worry about him even after what he had done to her. Each time she shot him a look, her heart would be momentarily stabbed through with guilt as she saw how dejected he looked. The more time passed, the more Orihime felt that the whole situation was her fault. She never _could_ stay angry at anyone for long…

This time, as the redhead turned her head to check on the Arrancar, she noticed that Ulquiorra had stopped at the school gates, soaking in the sight with unreadable eyes. His shoulders were hunched and his head was hanging slightly, almost as if in shame. For some reason, the sight disturbed Orihime to no end.

Her lingering anger abruptly replaced with concern, Orihime returned to Ulquiorra's side, her worried grey eyes whispering a thousand apologies. "Ulquiorra… what's the matter?" Ulquiorra's troubled bean green eyes refocused, then looked down at the girl before him. In a slight motion, he bowed his head penitently and took a step away from Orihime.

"I am a burden to you," the Arrancar stated simply, the notion having just occurred to him. The thought had never crossed his mind before, but for some reason it now weighed down on his heart so poignantly. Almost as poignantly as the unmistakable guilt swallowing him whole. If this was emotion, perhaps he would be better off not feeling at all…

"No, Ulquiorra, no," Orihime was gripped with sudden, irrational fear. His words and expression betrayed his inner turmoil, and everything about him was screaming with silent pain. She didn't want him to suffer, she didn't want him to leave…

"Do you have any idea what I just tried to do to you," Ulquiorra demanded, frustration and guilt making its way to his emerald eyes. The words confused Orihime; he was the one who didn't know about sex, not the other way around. "I lowered myself to the level of those trash, and nearly subjected you to that grotesque ritual."

"Ulquiorra, what are you talking about," Orihime couldn't understand what the Arrancar was saying. She knew exactly what they had been about to do, but it wasn't exactly a 'grotesque ritual.'

The pale teenager looked down at Orihime. She would think him a monster if he told her where his body had been leading him. "Never mind. Just know that it is a practice by which Hollows exert their dominance. I should never have initiated the act, not on someone I care about as deeply as you." Ulquiorra's eyes gazed forlornly at Orihime. In a second, her arms were wrapped tightly around him.

She shouldn't be doing this. It was enough temptation just being in his presence, but the guilt in his eyes was just so painful for her to see, and so _undeserved_. He just said he cared about her, cared about her deeply. Orihime couldn't honestly say that she didn't care about him, and she had more than once felt the desire to hold him, to kiss him, to touch him. Ulquiorra felt it, too, but he didn't know what it was, so he saw no reason not to act on it. It wasn't his fault, not at all. He just didn't _know_. Tentatively, Ulquiorra brought his arms to rest on Orihime's back.

"I am sorry." Orihime looked up with tear-filled eyes. Had he really just said those words?

Gently, Ulquiorra swiped away the tears with long, bony fingers. "I do not want you to cry. It hurts." Orihime smiled, and the deep blue happiness swelled up to fill her chest.

"I won't cry anymore," Orihime murmured as she wiped away the rest of her tears. She looked up at her friend, managing a warm smile. "I was too harsh on you, I'm sorry, Ulquiorra. There's still so much about this world that you don't know, and it was wrong of me to get angry at you over something like this." _Especially when I wanted it just as badly as you…_

"No," Ulquiorra contradicted. "You were right about everything. I have invaded and conquered your home, put you on rough terms with your nakama, and sought to dominate you in a manner only befitting the lowly Adjucas." Orihime brought her palm gently to Ulquiorra's cheek, comforting him silently.

"You didn't mean to…"

"No, I did mean to," Ulquiorra continued, unable to bear the weight of his conscious any longer. He was brimming over with both sadness and heavy joy. What was happening to him? "I wanted you to be mine, to own you in every possible way. When I had arrived on Earth, I had not ruled out marking you as my own by dominating you ritualistically, should you have become unruly. I also thought that it would be easier if your nakama had died while fighting the other espada." He paused, grasping Orihime's wrist in his larger hand and pressing her palm harder against his cheek. He deserved to be slapped again.

"I gave no thought to your feelings, Orihime. And my punishment for this is an eternity of fretting over them." Ulquiorra closed his eyes as he felt Orihime's hand slip from his grasp, moving up to wrap around his neck.

Slowly, Orihime allowed herself one last transgression. Standing on the tips of her toes and pulling Ulquiorra into her embrace, the redhead pressed her soft lips onto his left cheek, her lips lingering as if to transfer their warmth into the lifeless white skin.

Ulquiorra opened his eyes in shock. "We should not be touching, Orihime." The distance between their two bodies was too painful, for both of them, but they endured.

Ignoring his soft-spoken words, the redhead buried her face in Ulquiorra's neck. "I forgive you. I forgive you of everything."

The two just stood there silently for another moment, breathing in each other's essence. Eventually, Orihime pulled back, looking up at Ulquiorra with a loving smile. "Let's get to class, there's something I want to show you."

* * *

For the second day in a row, Orihime was the first to arrive in class, although this time she wasn't alone.

"Alright! It's ready," Orihime exclaimed brightly, holding up a sheet of loose leaf divided into three vertical columns for the former espada to see. Written in big bubble letters at the top of the page were the words "Ulquiorra and Orihime's Super Renovation Plans!" Silence.

"What is this for?" Ulquiorra's monotone was tinted with amusement.

"Isn't it obvious," Orihime teased, smiling sincerely. For some reason, she felt closer to Ulquiorra than ever. And she hadn't even found another excuse to touch him yet! "We have three main problems. One,

you don't like my apartment. Two, you and my friends don't like each other. Three, we… well… _want_ each other in a way that we shouldn't." The redhead counted each on her fingers, and ended with a blush. _Oh my goodness, I kissed Ulquiorra… Oh my goodness, Ulquiorra touched my… my…_

"Yes," Ulquiorra agreed, nodding his head minutely. He didn't find it worth mentioning that Soul Society would probably pose more of an obstacle than anything else, as soon as they could be bothered to send some chump back to the human world.

"So, the obvious answer to number one would be to redecorate _our_ home in a way that we both like," Orihime exclaimed, as if it were the simplest thing in the world. The events of the morning had convinced her that she was ready to let Ulquiorra into her life completely, because, for better or worse, she had become attached. "As for number two, it's just a matter of getting everyone to trust you. After that, you can have a relationship like Kurosaki-kun and Ishida-kun: outward dislike coupled with a deep inner bond!"

Ulquiorra raised a thin eyebrow at the suggestion, but otherwise said nothing. There were more pressing issues. "What can we do about number three?"

"Well," Orihime started, already flushed. "I'm not… emotionally available at the moment… Not that I don't want to; I want to! I really do… more than I should. I'm only sixteen…" It was such a weird thing to be saying, Orihime could only stare at her shoes as she leaned against her desk. She could feel Ulquiorra's eyes on her from his seat at the desk beside her. It was oddly pleasant.

"And therein lies the problem," Ulquiorra stated calmly, despite the frustration he felt boiling within him. Orihime giggled. This was all so ridiculous, but, she guessed, nothing brought people together more than a secret. A deep, dark secret that no one could find out about. Ever.

"For that," Orihime continued, letting out a nervous laugh. "We'll just have to try our best to keep our hands off each other." After a moment of silence, Orihime let out a sigh and Ulquiorra closed his eyes.

"Is it my imagination," Ulquiorra started resignedly, "or has the desire only become worse once we got a taste of what we want?"

Orihime watched as Ulquiorra opened his smouldering eyes. The redhead was wary of how much she enjoyed his gaze on her. His stare was so intense that it felt almost like he was undressing her with his eyes. She felt her nipples harden beneath her bra. "The desire is definitely worse…" Another very charged silence ensued. Ulquiorra tried to distract himself by staring at the trees swaying wildly in the wind outside the window. Orihime's gaze dropped back down to her shoes.

"Ulquiorra," Orihime murmured, bringing the Arrancar's attention back to her. "Please don't tell anyone about what happened this morning. If anyone found out, they'd be very angry."

Ulquiorra's eyes scrutinized Orihime's every move, and the girl leaned back unconsciously in an inviting gesture. "I understand."

"Thank you," Orihime's soft voice drifted off, and then she once again noticed the paper on Ulquiorra's desk. Suddenly, the redhead became very excited. Picking up the sheet again, Orihime explained her table while motioning to each column. "Alright, Ulquiorra, here's the plan. You write in point form what

you want the apartment to look like on the column on the right. I'll do the same for the column on the left. Then, when we get home tonight, we'll compromise on each point and put the final decision in the middle column!"

"Are you sure about this, Orihime," Ulquiorra questioned almost suspiciously as he took the paper from her delicate hands.

"Of course!" Orihime cheered, her sincere smile unwavering. "As you discovered yesterday, our home is in… less than perfect working order. Although we don't really have the time to renovate at the moment, it doesn't mean that we can't start planning, right?"

"Very well." Ulquiorra took the sheet, and in the right-hand column began listing everything he would change about Orihime's apartment. When he was just a few points down the list, a familiar face joined them in the vacant classroom.

"Ishida-kun!" Orihime rose from her seat next to Ulquiorra, and dashed over to stand directly in front of her friend, her hands clasped together behind her back. The dark-haired teenager was obviously expecting Ulquiorra and Orihime to be together, but he nevertheless couldn't suppress a stab of jealousy from seeing them so close to each other.

"Good morning, Inoue-san," Ishida greeted politely. As he tried to sidestep the enthusiastic girl to put his books on his desk, Orihime moved to once again block his path. "Is there something the matter?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing at all," Orihime asserted with blissful nonchalance, before her eyes suddenly grew wide with excitement and she pointed out the classroom door with a trembling finger. "Oh my goodness! A panda! Let's go pet it, Ishida-kun!" The redhead promptly hooked her arm around the arm of her confused friend, and dragged him backwards back out the door. Ulquiorra, still writing, cocked an eyebrow at the display.

Once Orihime and Uryuu were safely outside the boundaries of the classroom, in the still relatively empty halls, Orihime dropped her charade and looked up at Uryuu with pleading eyes.

"I'm so sorry about yesterday. Please, Ishida-kun, I know that you don't trust Ulquiorra," Orihime implored, her eyes smouldering with an emotion Uryuu couldn't decipher, "but, for me, please don't give him a hard time."

"Have you asked the same of him," the Quincy questioned firmly, although his countenance was much more easy-going than the day prior. Uryuu had learnt his lesson: Ulquiorra was a touchy subject with Orihime.

"He told me last night that he 'wouldn't instigate anything'," Orihime replied, praying her friend would believe her words. "He really doesn't want to fight. I had a long discussion with him yesterday, and I truly believe that he means no harm.

"Beneath his harshness and indifference, Ulquiorra is so unexpectedly tender," Orihime continued, despite Uryuu's dubious look. "When I look into his eyes I can really see the loneliness and pain… Ishida-kun, I really think that he just needs a friend…"

Uryuu felt like rolling his eyes. Orihime sounded like she was reading from some bad Shoujo manga, although Uryuu would never say it aloud, lest someone ask why he knew of the typical Shoujo clichés.

Nevertheless, his hands were tied when it came to confronting Ulquiorra. His visit with Urahara the night prior had confirmed that the shop owner did indeed believe that Orihime and Ulquiorra were in love. And although Uryuu hated to admit it, it was becoming more and more obvious to him that Orihime held strong feelings for Ulquiorra, although the Quincy doubted if she was even aware of it.

On top of that, Urahara had revealed that he suspected that Ulquiorra knew how to get out of his gigai, although the shop keeper claimed to have not supplied him with that information. So even if Uryuu could fight Ulquiorra without breaking Orihime's heart, he would be unable to defeat the former espada. Everyone else had decided to follow Rukia's instructions and was taking the path of non-violence, and in all honesty, if he didn't stand a chance against the Eighth, it was suicide to fight the Fourth alone.

"Fine," Uryuu finally conceded, pulling Orihime's eyes off the floor. "As long as he isn't causing any harm, I'll back off." Hearing the reassuring words, the redhead's heart-shaped face immediately lit up in a smile, relief flooding over her. The busty redhead tackled Uryuu in a choking hug, almost knocking him backwards, as she shouted out her 'thank you.'

Ignoring Ishida's flustered expression, and still glowing with relief, Orihime skipped back into the classroom. Now she just needed to talk to Kurosaki-kun, Kuchiki-san, Sado-kun… Suddenly, although years of similar incidents should have made it expected, Orihime was attacked from behind.

"Hiiiime-chaan! I missed you!" A familiar set of hands unscrupulously groped Orihime's voluptuous round breasts, as Orihime shrieked in surprise. Ulquiorra rose menacingly from his seat and stalked to the front of the classroom, emanating a release-my-woman-or-die aura.

"Get off'a her, you pervert!" Tatsuki beat Ulquiorra to the punch (literally), sending Chizuru plummeting to the ground in a small cascade of her own blood. Coming through the door was the rest of the group, the teenage girls giggling over their friends' antics.

"How many times do I have to beat you to a pulp before you get it through your thick skull?" Orihime turned around, her orange hair swirling with her, to face her best friend. Tatsuki continued to kick the writhing Chizuru in the stomach until her eyes met those of the redhead.

"Tatsuki…?" Looking at her dearest friend now, Orihime realized just how much she had truly missed her. It had been such a long five weeks, so lonely, so terrifying, and tears suddenly began to well up in the redhead's eyes. Despite herself, Tatsuki too was becoming teary-eyed. She was just so glad to see that her best friend was still alright.

The next moment, both girls wrapped their arms around the other, tears of relief flowing freely from their eyes. The other students who had begun to file into the class withheld their joking remarks, even the most loud-mouthed unable to break into the very emotional moment. When Yasutora walked in, he couldn't help but smile for his friend, especially when he noticed Ulquiorra standing at a respectful distance, not interfering.

"Oh, I see. So Arisawa's allowed to touch Hime-chan…" Chizuru muttered darkly, before being silenced by a sharp glare from Ulquiorra. Like the other students, the Arrancar felt that he shouldn't intrude on the moment, especially since he was going to be engaged in enough conflicts with Orihime's friends for the day as it was. The former espada closed his eyes in resignation and was about to return to his seat when Ochi-sensei walked through the door.

"Wow, girls, calm down!" The young teacher exclaimed, balking at the display before her. "Inoue was just on vacation for a month, it's not like she was going to be gone forever!" The girls separated, but stayed close to each other, whispering disjointed "I'm sorry"s and "I missed you"s.

Dropping her heavy bag onto her wooden chair, the teacher began to organize her papers to the sound of a chorus of students begging her for their test marks. A well-placed 'you don't want to know' effectively silenced them as Ulquiorra strode up to the sensei's cluttered desk.

"Ochi-sensei," Ulquiorra began, fixing his usual glare upon the young teacher. "I require your assistance."

"Good morning, Schiffer," the sensei looked up from the paperwork on her desk, smiling. "What can I do for you?"

"Something is wrong with my body," the Arrancar asserted, his face dead serious. "I have looked into it, but, despite having determined the symptoms, I have been unable to come to a conclusion as to what the ailment is."

Yup. She had been right. This Schiffer kid was an odd one. Not even Ishida spoke like this one did. "Well, what's wrong?"

"At instances of close physical proximity to Inoue Orihime, a pressure builds in my penis, causing it to grow stiff," Ulquiorra explained, without the decency to so much as lower his voice. "This main symptom is accompanied by an unexplained rise in body temperature and odd, sometimes hallucinogenic, urges."

The wide-eyed teacher could come to only one conclusion. "Did Asano ask you to say that?"

"No," Ulquiorra replied, narrowing his emerald eyes slightly. "I am serious." Silence ensued.

"You should know, Schiffer, that Asano isn't even popular," the teacher commented, bluntly honest. "You don't need to suck up to him to make friends."

"What are you babbling about, human?" Ulquiorra looked upon the slightly shorter woman with disdain. "If you can not help me, then do not make me waste my time here." The Arrancar turned to return to his desk, but stopped when the teacher spoke again.

"Are you seriously saying that you don't know why that's happening," the teacher questioned. Upon further reflection, the kid didn't seem like the type to do something stupid to be socially accepted.

"I have never experienced this phenomenon before," Ulquiorra stated as way of a reply, turning back to the conversation. He knew that Ochi-sensei knew what was happening, so it was only a matter of baiting her to discuss it with him.

The woman with glasses gave it a moment's thought. It was difficult imagining this guy playing a prank on her, but it was equally difficult to imagine that he wasn't aware of the reproductive process. "Didn't you have a Sex Ed. class back in Canada?"

"No," Ulquiorra answered, garnering another piece in the over-elaborate puzzle of human existence. "But I have been acquainted with the word 'sex.' Does this have to do with my condition?"

The sensei could do nothing but take in the sight before her with wide, incredulous eyes. Here was a teenage boy, in this day and age, with no inkling of the concept of sex. She opened her mouth to say something, but the appearance of a certain big-chested redhead stopped her.

"Ulquiorra!" The still-teary-eyed girl was almost bouncing with anticipation, a big smile spread across her heart-shaped face. Ulquiorra turned his head back to look at her as she looped her arm around his, ready to drag him off to certain doom. "Come meet Tatsuki!"

"In a moment, Orihime," Ulquiorra responded, turning his gaze back to the teacher. "I am inquiring about a condition of mine that has yet to subside."

"Oh," the girl remarked, her mouth making a literal 'O.' "The one with the weird pressure and the heat?" She was replied with a curt 'yes.'

"Alright, then, Ulquiorra," Orihime beamed, smiling brilliantly again. "Come join us when you're done. Everyone's very eager for you to reintroduce yourself!" With those words she walked away, back to the circle of friends that were assembled at Orihime's desk, and that had been watching the entire scene very closely.

Ochi-sensei gaped again. Not only this new kid, but also her ditzy-yet-intelligent top three? Either those people who ranted about there being too much sex in the media had been over-exaggerating, or those two lived beneath a rock. Either way, the perky teacher concluded, there was only one acceptable course of action.

"Hang tight, Schiffer," Ochi-sensei said with a sigh. It was _not_ going to be fun keeping a class of cocky teenagers in line through this… "I'll inform the nurse and she'll pull together a Sex Ed. session. It'll answer all your questions."

Once the woman was done speaking, Ulquiorra turned around silently and walked to where Orihime was, dreading the next five minutes of his life.

"Alright, everyone," Orihime whispered conspiratorially to the friends huddled around her desk. "He'll be here soon, so everyone remember the plan." Several grunts of affirmation could be heard despite everyone's sour expressions.

Orihime had been surprised to learn that Tatsuki had already been informed of the whole Soul Society versus Aizen conspiracy, down to the last detail. And Orihime had been _very_ surprised that she had faced little to no resistance from any of her friends with regard to Ulquiorra. They were quite obviously not ecstatic about the whole affair, but they all agreed right off the bat to give the former espada a

chance. Orihime would have to thank them later, especially Rukia and Yasutora, who had spoken up in defence of her plan.

The busty redhead realized that Ulquiorra was standing behind her when she felt heated desire once again shooting through her. Putting on her brightest smile, Orihime swung around to face her roommate. "Hello, Ulquiorra! Glad you could join us this fine day!"

"…Hello," Ulquiorra returned in monotone. He thought that this whole setup was absurd, but went along with the redhead anyway. From the faces of Orihime's friends, he could tell that they were all severely uncomfortable, and he couldn't help but take comfort.

"Ulquiorra, these are my nakama, Tatsuki-chan, Sado-kun, Kurosaki-kun, Kuchiki-san, and Ishida-kun!" Orihime chimed, her feminine hand gliding from left to right, motioning to each person in the circle. She looked up at Ulquiorra's looming figure expectantly.

"Hello." _What I subject myself to for you, Orihime…_

Seeking guidance when silence fell on the group, the Arrancar turned his gaze back to the redhead, who offered a discrete prompting signal insisting that Ulquiorra introduce himself properly. He looked back to the ring of friends unenthusiastically.

"My name is Ulquiorra Schiffer, the former Cuatro Espada of Aizen Sousuke's Arrancar army." Orihime supplied another encouraging gesture, her smile only growing wider. "…I am currently residing with Inoue Orihime, my newest interest." Another gentle prompt from the redhead. "…I will be attending Karakura High School with you all for as long as Orihime is here." The girl in question smiled wider, beckoning Ulquiorra to continue.

"What is it that you would have me say, Orihime," Ulquiorra demanded in the closest tone he had ever gotten to a snap. Orihime's friends looked surprised at the random outburst, but the redhead herself didn't miss a beat.

"You're leaving out the most important part," Orihime whined, crossing her arms as she pouted cutely. Her perfectly-planned scheme was falling apart. "You're supposed to say that you don't want to fight anybody and that you just want to make friends!"

"I am not going to say that, Orihime," Ulquiorra stated darkly, shooting daggers at his roommate.

Orihime, seemingly impervious to the Arrancar's death glares, gazed into his emerald eyes defiantly. "Why not? Don't you think that they have the right to at least hear it from your mouth?"

"I said that I would not purposely instigate their anger, but I never mentioned befriending them," Ulquiorra retorted coldly, managing the full looming effect while still standing perfectly erect with his shoulders back.

"Yah, but that's what you're here for, isn't it," Orihime questioned rebelliously while still maintaining her childish pout. "You want to make friends, don't you, Ulquiorra?"

"Orihime, I want you," Ulquiorra stated, longing suddenly lacing his voice and radiating from his radioactive green eyes. In an abrupt yet graceful move, Ulquiorra wrapped his arms around the shorter girl, his right hand reaching around to her right hip and his left hand woven through her bright orange hair.

He realized why he always felt like doing this when other people were around: he wanted Orihime all to himself, to force her to look at him and only him. _How odd…_

Despite the shock Ulquiorra sensed in her, he drew Orihime closer to him, tucking her head beneath his chin. "I want you and only you."

"Ul-Ulquiorra," Orihime stuttered. After waking up in bed with him that morning, and the dream that she had had about him the morning before, and especially the 'incident' a half an hour earlier, it was difficult to keep his proximity from once again venturing past the invisible 'friend' line. She could feel the terrible desire building up again. "Ulquiorra, what are you doing?"

The Arrancar, his desire to see Orihime's face overpowering the urge to hold her against him, drew Orihime back and relished in her flustered look. "Calm yourself. I am only embracing you."

"Yo-You can't just do that. Remember what we talked about…" Orihime tried to object, her drifting gaze noticing for the first time the look on her friends' faces. Surprisingly, she didn't see as much anger as she had the day prior, and instead more astonishment and disbelief.

"Why? We did this last night in your bed," Ulquiorra, heavily amused, responded in an almost mocking monotone. They had agreed to not mention his attempt to initiate the ritual, but Orihime had never mentioned the need for silence on the subject of their sensual interactions. In the Arrancar's defence, the two were separate, mutually-exclusive matters in his mind. "Does it truly make a difference to you whether we are doing this while we are in your bed or in your classroom?"

While the jeering and catcalls were being silenced by a certain jealous lesbian, the mortified Orihime quickly shrugged off Ulquiorra's arms.

"We did _not_ do that," Orihime exclaimed, flushed the tips of her ears.

"Yes, we did," Ulquiorra, in all his naïve cruelty, pursued. He didn't understand why the humans found this so entertaining, but he would do what it took to rile Orihime up. Her blush pulled his heart in a way he couldn't explain. "You even used my arm as a pillow."

"That was an accident! I didn't know-" Orihime's bulletproof defence was interrupted by the bell. Class had started.

"Inoue, stop yelling," Ochi-sensei called loudly from the front of the classroom. "You can work things out with your boyfriend later." Even more embarrassed then before, Orihime turned around to face her friends.

The incredulous look on their faces indicated to the redhead that her so-called _nakama_ had all believed Ulquiorra's side of the story. Deflated and embarrassed, Orihime sighed and said the only thing that she could.

"Alright, we'll try this again at lunch."


	10. Catharsis

It was an average day at Karakura High School. Teenage boys and teenage girls fluttered around, going about their daily lives. In Ochi-sensei's social science class, the adolescents clustered in groups, friends chattering away about the movie they had just seen, the cute shoes they saw at the new place that opened across the street from the pastry shop, and, of course, who saw _that_ guy talking to _that_ girl at _that_ place.

Most of the current gossip that was now going around was single-mindedly focused on class beauty Inoue Orihime, and freaky/sexy new student Ulquiorra Schiffer. The rumour mill was a fickle thing, and the gossip-prone were always looking for something juicy. And _nothing_ was juicier at the moment than what was there for everyone to see: the hugging, the touching, the fierce possessiveness, the news of bondage. Everything Ulquiorra did and said seemed to be fuel to the fire.

Eventually, the prattling died down as class was called into order. Once all the students had settled down and returned to their seats, Ochi-sensei began taking attendance, all while slipping in commentary about certain students. From the back of the classroom, where he was, as usual, gazing intensely at Orihime, Ulquiorra could make out the teacher's cheerful voice. "Well, will you look at this? I'm not missing half my class anymore…"

Ulquiorra was distracted; voices were a muddle around him. Orihime was pouting, staring down at her open school books intently with her brow stitched together. Something was bothering her.

"What are you doing," the Arrancar demanded, stone-faced. He leaned forward to peer at the subject of her focus.

"I'm…" Orihime started, preoccupied with flipping through the pages of her text book. "Trying to figure out how much I missed…"

The redhead flipped further and further back, her eyes skimming the pages for something she recognized. They couldn't have gone through seventy pages in a month and a half, could they have? The farther back the girl flipped, the deeper the furrow in her brow became. Ulquiorra asked the only logical question. "Why?"

Orihime sighed, resigned. She'd figure it out later. Turning her attention towards her roommate, she was once again struck by how beautiful he was. Blushing just a little, Orihime realized that there was worry in his eyes. As if the words on the page were assaulting her somehow. Fear the unknown, right? The girl giggled quietly.

"Because I've been gone for a long time, and I have to catch up if I want to pass the school year," Orihime explained gently. Passing her delicate index finger over the sides of the pages of the textbook, the grey-eyed teenager continued, "I have to learn all of this…"

The whispers between classmates died out as Ochi-sensei began her lecture. Orihime silently moved her desk over next to Ulquiorra's, hoping that the usually-chill teacher wouldn't mind. Leaning over towards the pale teenager with a bright smile, Orihime whispered as quietly as she could, careful not to draw too much attention. "I _really_ need to catch up, but you have even more to learn. Don't you worry, though, I'm here to help you with everything!"

"I do not understand why you humans are so insistent on according such weight to this 'school' institution," Ulquiorra commented inexpressively after a moment. Orihime responded with an understanding smile; she was finding it really difficult starting at square one.

"It's because we all have dreams that we want to pursue," Orihime picked up her pencil and absently copied the notes being written on the blackboard. "And to do that, we need an education." Ulquiorra's eyes dropped to the books before him. He understood perfectly well the concept of ambition; that drive was omnipresent in Hueco Mundo.

'Dreams', however, was a concept more obscure; although in the last few days Ulquiorra thought that he had caught a glimpse of it. The emerald-eyed teenager looked down upon the school books sceptically, then up to Orihime's encouraging smile. "In what way could these books help me stay by your side for all time?"

The girl's eyes widened impossibly. Orihime was speechless, a warm feeling building in her chest and rising to her cheeks. This was probably the closest thing to a love confession she had ever heard. A decidedly pleasant feeling filled her, even as Ulquiorra sat there expecting an answer, and Orihime had to silence the spontaneous words that were bubbling to her lips.

Instead of doing something she would regret later, the redhead quelled her rogue emotions. After a moment of nervous compulsive gulping, Orihime managed to suppress her flustered feelings and pass Ulquiorra's question off as a joke. "Th-They don't help you with those kinds of dreams. They help you with professional dreams. Like being a cook or a doctor or a teacher."

Ulquiorra looked down at the books, then up at the teacher in disinterest and distaste. Orihime saw the denial in his glare, and played her ace, a small smile tugging her lips. "And if you _don't_ know this material, then you'll fail the exams and be held back a year. So, next year, we won't be in the same class anymore." That got the Arrancar's attention; he looked up from the books startled, looking almost offended.

"And then, soon, I'll be off to college, and you'll be a high school drop out, and you'll be all alone at home while I'm with my nakama at Tokyo University…"

"Unacceptable," Ulquiorra asserted sternly, his eyes burning with rage. _No one_ would keep him from his woman. "I will be wherever you are. Although it is a waste of my time, you will show me what must be done."

"That's the spirit, Ulquiorra," Orihime exclaimed, struggling to keep her voice below a whisper. "Let's focus on our schoolwork!"

What followed was a very intense study session, where Orihime learnt something very peculiar about Ulquiorra.

* * *

"Oh my goodness!" Orihime exclaimed for the hundredth time in the last hour. "That's amazing!" The bell had just rung, and while most had escaped through the door quickly, including the teacher, some students still lingered. Most notably, Orihime and Ulquiorra, who were busy in their corner, and Orihime's nakama, who were busy watching them.

"This should not surprise you. I was Aizen's envoy for a reason," Ulquiorra stated bluntly, unable to see what was so interesting about his ability.

Her grey eyes lit with unadulterated awe, Orihime turned towards her friends and motioned them over, a thick book open in her delicate hand. "Oh my goodness! You guys will never believe what Ulquiorra can do!" The wary, though curious, friends approached, except for Rukia, who continued to hang back in her own world, watching vaguely from a distance. Before any of them could utter a word, the excited redhead continued.

"Go on, Ulquiorra! Show them!" Ulquiorra closed his eyes as if to sigh, and then as he opened them again began reciting something about artificial selection as it relates to the beaks of pigeons. The Arrancar spoke for a full two minutes as if he were reading the words from the wall. All the while, Orihime had her nose in the book "The Origin of Species," on the lookout for any mistakes in the monotonic recitation.

Once Ulquiorra was done, Orihime closed the book shut, a big goofy smile on her face. "Not a single mistake! That's absolutely amazing!" Turning to face her friends as well, Orihime continued. "I picked this book up off the bookshelf at random, and Ulquiorra only read that passage _once_! And he learnt the whole thing off by heart, without even trying! Isn't that amazing?"

"Yah, amazing," Ichigo answered honestly, although alarms were sounding somewhere in his head telling him not to let his guard down.

"That _is_ pretty cool…" Tatsuki trailed off, although it wasn't the powers of Ulquiorra's photographic memory that impressed her. Who cares if the guy was a genius, what was really interesting was how comfortable Orihime and Ulquiorra were together. It was as if they had known each other their entire lives.

"How did you do that," Uryuu questioned coldly, trying to disguise his awe. The Quincy had that sort of ability as well, but not to the same surreal degree as Ulquiorra. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy; it felt to him almost like Ulquiorra was trying to show him up.

"My eye sees all that exists," the Arrancar replied dully. He didn't much appreciate the attention, but Orihime's thrilled smiling face kept him from walking out of the room at that moment. "Nothing can escape it."

"I never thought that we'd be so lucky," Orihime cheered merrily. "You'll easily be able to learn all the material! And then you'll get into a great university and get a great job, and people will invite you onto radio shows, where you'll solve complex math problems on the spot in your head, and –"

"What are you talking about, Orihime?" Ulquiorra stared and Orihime beamed.

"With this kind of talent," Orihime smiled, each word dripping with sincere kindness, "you'll certainly be accepted and respected in this world! You'll be able to get a good job and live a happy, comfortable life, and you won't have to be surrounded by people who don't like you."

Ulquiorra's eyes softened slightly, although only Orihime picked up on it. "You were worried that I would be unhappy here."

"Of course! It's scary going out into a whole new world." Relief was evident in Orihime's tone as she turned around to gather her books. Ulquiorra knew he could never repay her for her kindness. On impulse, his hand rose to stroke her brilliant orange hair and bring it around to rest behind her ear. Perfectly at ease, Orihime's smile only became more pronounced.

Ulquiorra was about to turn around and gather his books when Sado Yasutora abruptly walked up to him, breaking from the other three who were still scrutinizing Ulquiorra and Orihime's interaction. The man's aura was gentle despite his intimidating build. Firmly, the kind giant held out a hand.

Surprised, Ulquiorra looked down at the outreached hand, then up at the kind yet resolved eyes of the tanned man, moving only his piercing green eyes. Orihime, overcoming her own surprise, noticed Ulquiorra's confusion over the gesture and spoke up, voiced tinged with emotion. "Sado-kun wants to shake your hand, Ulquiorra."

Looking down once more, then up, Ulquiorra tentatively took the giant's hand in a strong grasp to mirror the other's. A moment later, both retracted their hands, Ulquiorra's going back into his pocket. Without breaking eye contact, Yasutora spoke to the Arrancar in his calm, deep voice: "Would you like to sit with us at lunch today?"

The Arrancar's bean green eyes analyzed the man before him before deciding that his intentions were kind. For a moment, Ulquiorra understood why Orihime had been so devastated when she thought she had lost him. There was something about his steady and reassuring presence that drew the others to him. Ulquiorra answered with a simple 'yes.' A significant silence enveloped the room. Orihime felt tears spring to her eyes.

"Don't, Chizuru," Mahana's shrill voice was heard from outside the classroom, as well as the sound of indistinct struggling. "Tatsuki told us that she needs to talk to Kurosaki and the rest in private! Do you want her to kill you?"

"I don't care!" Chizuru was fuming. "My Hime is finally back from vacation, and I haven't gotten to spend any time with her yet! It's not fair!" Chizuru promptly burst through the door, eyes flaming.

"Chizuru, I told you that this was important," Tatsuki yelled. She still had so many questions she needed answered. She still had to give this Ulquiorra guy what was coming to him. She didn't have time for Chizuru's antics. The two girls death-glared each other fiercely, before Orihime stepped between them.

"Aww, come on Tatsuki-chan," Orihime persuaded, her palms brought together before her cutely. "She's right, I haven't gotten to spend any time with the others. I've missed them, too…"

Tatsuki crossed her arms and gazed at her best friend for a long minute, defiant, but considering. Soon, she let out an exaggerated sigh; she never _could_ say no to Orihime. "Alright, alright. But I'll be talking to this Ulquiorra guy while you're gone."

"Okay," Orihime chirped as her face lit up and she turned towards her roommate. "Ulquiorra, why don't you talk to Tatsuki-chan for a while, while I go see some of my other friends?" With those words, Orihime dashed out of the classroom, narrowly avoiding Chizuru's open, receptive arms. A moment later, indistinct chattering and giggling could be heard in the hallway.

"Heh, she didn't really give you much of a choice, did she," Tatsuki commented offhandedly, still looking out the classroom door.

"She knew that I would object to this course of action," Ulquiorra replied blankly, also looking towards the exit. He would have been annoyed had he not seen it coming.

"Oi, your name's Ulquiorra, right," the karate adept asked, still nonchalant as she turned her head to meet the Arrancar's gaze. The moment he nodded, a wide grin split Tatsuki's face. "I've got something real special for you."

Ulquiorra didn't even have time to raise an eyebrow at the statement before Tatsuki's fist had made painful contact with his cheek, sending him hurtling backwards under the force of the punch. The hard bone of the girl's knuckles dug mercilessly into the soft flesh, as the pressure caused the inside of Ulquiorra's cheek to be slit by his teeth. All this in a fraction of a second, before Tatsuki pulled back into an arrogant stance, eyes on fire. Ulquiorra steadied himself against a desk before standing erect again, surprise draining from his eyes just as quickly as it had sprouted.

"You sure've got a lot of nerve showing up here after what you've done!" Tatsuki was livid, the pure fury blazing in her eyes and tone enough to make her friends step back. "I don't know what the hell you think you're doing, but I am _not_ just going to sit back and let you hurt Orihime!"

Calmly, Ulquiorra reminded himself that this reaction was completely expected. He just had to ignore the violent outbursts… "I have no intention of hurting, Orihime –" Tatsuki's fist once again collided with his face, an uppercut to his chin this time. After stumbling slightly at the force, Ulquiorra once again recovered his poise. He noted grimly that the girl before him was stronger than a normal human should be. "I don't think that that last attack was completely justified –"

Tatsuki interrupted as soon as she could manage to speak past her anger, as if the Arrancar had never uttered a word. "Don't you _dare_ say her name like that, scum! Just because she's happy and smiling now doesn't mean that you can just pretend nothing ever happened! I should kill you right now!"

Ulquiorra realized that the threat wasn't idle when everyone's eyes widened in impossible fear at the threat, and Ichigo, Uryuu and Yasutora practically threw themselves onto the struggling girl in an attempt to hold her back. To Ulquiorra, it was suddenly a brilliant idea to step back a few feet more.

It took three grown men three and a half minutes to drain the fight out of Tatsuki. Once they finally felt it was safe to unleash the furious teenager upon the world, they released the tired chains of muscle encircling her. Uryuu stood dangerously between the huffing-in-rage Tatsuki and the still-impassive-looking Ulquiorra, and looked the girl sharply in the eye.

"We must not act rashly before knowing all the facts," Uryuu insisted coldly. "I, too, would very much like to end this Arrancar, but at the moment we cannot afford to battle him. Arisawa-san, I believe you must have noticed the way Inoue-san and Ulquiorra are together." Tatsuki's eyes dropped, her lips forming a pained snarl; of course she had noticed. "You wouldn't want to hurt Inoue-san, would you?"

Tatsuki huffed, frustrated. In all honesty, she wanted to shout out "Orihime doesn't love Ulquiorra, because she loves Ichigo!" and then promptly beat the pale bastard to an inch of his life. And then make him apologize to Orihime. But, of course, she would never betray Orihime's trust by telling her secret, and she had a feeling that Orihime wouldn't appreciate her best friend beating her new 'roommate' to a bloody pulp.

"Fine," Tatsuki exclaimed sharply, still trying to calm down. She needed answers, too, after all.

"Then let us begin," Uryuu promptly turned around, eyeing his Arrancar target coldly. "What I want to know is why you were 'in bed' with Inoue-san this morning." Ulquiorra turned his glare to the Quincy. Tatsuki added an insistent 'yes.'

"Where else was I to sleep?" Uryuu's and Tatsuki's eyes narrowed instantaneously.

"The couch, obviously," Tatsuki asserted.

"And, if not, the futon that Matsumoto Rangiku slept on while in the Material World," Uryuu added immediately.

"The couch is too small. As for the extra futon, it smelt profusely of alcohol," the Arrancar replied, and then paused momentarily before continuing. "You were already aware that I was staying the night with Orihime, Ishida Uryuu. I do not understand why our sharing a bed is at all significant."

An incredulous silence fell over the group, as Ulquiorra continued staring Uryuu down. The seriousness slowly slipped from the air as it sunk in how utterly naïve the Arrancar was. Tatsuki voiced the group's reaction. "You… don't?"

"No." Ulquiorra asserted firmly with a glare, unintentionally confirming his ignorance rather than his innocence. Ichigo 'heh'-ed in the background.

"Than why do you keep touching her," Uryuu questioned, now more confused than angry. It was absurd, but somehow this guy reminded him of Pesshe. Obviously, nothing about them was remotely similar, but Uryuu realized that they both made the people around them want to face-palm.

While everyone else was getting a kick out the former Espada before them, as well as breathing a silent sigh of relief that he didn't seem to have assaulted Orihime yet, Ulquiorra was torn. He took the question Uryuu posed very seriously, because he himself couldn't understand his motivations. They were illogical, unsound. They were his weakness; they went against everything Ulquiorra thought he was. How could he admit just how pathetically _needy_ he was before these beings who obviously wanted to see him dead?

The Arrancar diverted his eyes, watching the wind swinging the tree branches wildly under the grey sky. _Such meaninglessness_, the former espada decided, closing his eyes. He remembered what Orihime had said about her friends having a right to know. And then he remembered how Orihime has been caring for him, both physically and emotionally, for the last three days. He opened his brilliant large eyes.

"Because it makes me happy," Ulquiorra murmured audibly just before Uryuu was going to repeat his question. Emerald eyes narrowed; he shouldn't care so much about how she feels, but he couldn't help it. The woman was corrupting him. "Something inside me comes alive when Orihime looks at me, speaks to me, or touches me."

Slowly, Ulquiorra turned towards Orihime's friends. Each of the people before him were people that she loved. She, who was corrupting him. She, who he had tried to corrupt. "Even though I am a burden to her, I cannot leave. As long as Orihime can forgive me of this, I ask that you all forgive me as well."

Silence hung heavy in the room as Ulquiorra gazed out the window again, wondering just how far he would go to make Orihime happy. It was ridiculous, but some part of him was proud that he was doing something to make life easier for his smiling roommate. Closing his eyes, Ulquiorra could only think that Orihime would be his ruin, and that he would welcome that ruin with open arms if he could just once more run his fingers through her fiery hair. The feelings burning in his heart were painful in their intensity, even now.

As for the others in the classroom, there was something disarming about hearing something so humble from the supposedly-arrogant former Espada. A poignant silence hung in the air.

"Geez," Ichigo complained suddenly, scratching the back of his head while his eyes were squinted in frustration. "Couldn't you have gotten all emotional _before_ puncturing my throat with your bare hand?"

"You seem to have pulled through just fine," the relatively tiny Arrancar replied unapologetically, still distracted by his musings.

"Still, it hurt like hell!" Although Ichigo was annoyed, the tension in the atmosphere seemed to have dissolved almost entirely. "I aughta give ya a good one as payback."

"Go ahead," Ulquiorra prompted, his voice as casual as ever. "Nothing you can do could ever hurt me, anyway, trash."

"You bastard!" Ichigo couldn't believe that Ulquiorra was still talking down to him, even after Ulquiorra's side lost. Ever since Ulquiorra had said that killing Ichigo wasn't even worth the time, Ichigo had thought of Ulquiorra as a rival, and it was therefore his goal to become stronger than him. The rivalry wasn't as intense as it was with Grimmjow, but Ichigo still really wanted, no _needed_, to be stronger than him.

Because of this, the Arrancar's condescending words were a challenge, and his pride wouldn't allow him to back down even now that the war was over. Even now that he couldn't recognize the Ulquiorra he was looking at as the one who had coldly told him that he had abducted Orihime.

The rest of the gang pulled back as Ichigo started verbally assaulting Ulquiorra, to which the Arrancar just closed his eyes and offered short, pointed retorts in return, almost distractedly. Yasutora turned away from the fray and walked over to Rukia's desk. Tatsuki and Uryuu, wisely judging that no more would be pulled from Ulquiorra until Ichigo was done being a raving lunatic, were not far behind.

"Are you alright, Arisawa-san," Uryuu questioned, almost looking concerned.

Tatsuki paused, thinking. "Orihime is the kind of girl who will feel bad for a wild racoon and try to take it home. I thought she'd have more sense than to bring home her _kidnapper_, but if anyone's good-hearted enough to do it, it's Orihime…"

"Inoue-san seems to be resolved to staying with Ulquiorra. Unless Ulquiorra starts causing trouble, or Inoue-san stops protecting him, we can do nothing else than accept her decision." Tatsuki mumbled a 'but I don't have to like it' under her breath. The two circled to the other side of Rukia's desk.

"What do you think," the giant mumbled softly to Rukia, who for the first time that morning looked as if she was willing to speak. That morning had been just like the afternoon prior; Rukia had been avoiding conversation, especially with Ichigo, instead silently keeping to herself, still lost in thought.

"I think that we were right to trust Inoue's judgement," Rukia murmured, her eyes still forlorn. Somehow, it just came so naturally to Ulquiorra and Orihime, and witnessing that made the shinigami just a little jealous. "It was love at first sight, and it's just taking them both a while to figure it out." Yasutora 'hmm'-ed in agreement.

"You guys can't be serious," Tatsuki exclaimed, her sceptical tone hushed so as not to be overheard. "I mean, I know Orihime's type, and it's definitely not _that_! He isn't even very nice to her; we… must be reading them wrong. She would never like a heartless murderer like him!"

"It's true that Ulquiorra did some terrible things," Yasutora rumbled, "but we must take into account his background." The giant paused, considering. "Also, I think that he just doesn't know how to express his feelings."

"Sado, I don't understand why you're so readily accepting this," Uryuu commented coldly, although not completely detachedly. Yasutora turned his deep gaze upon his friend.

"You hadn't encountered this Arrancar before," The burly man replied. "I think Ichigo sees it as well. Ulquiorra is different than how he was. Somehow, Inoue-san is changing him."

"You're quite the romantic, aren't you," the Quincy remarked in a scathingly dry tone. Yasutora shrugged vaguely. As a natural extension of his love of all things cute, the dark-skinned man also deeply enjoyed romance movies. On top of that, his depth and sensitivity had alerted him right away to the warmth shared between Orihime and Ulquiorra, and also the feelings blossoming in Rukia's heart.

"No!" Ichigo's ranting shout broke through the conversation, and all heads turned to the scene. The enraged orange-haired teenager flailed his arms and pointed to the unmoving Arrancar accusingly. "No! _You're_ the trash!"

"Must you be so loud," Ulquiorra replied in a tone almost bored. He wondered when Orihime was going to be back. "It is unpleasant enough being surrounded by trash, I would prefer to not have it piercing my eardrum as well." Ichigo raised his hands to his head, ready to pull out his hair.

"Gah! This guy pisses me off so much," the redhead exclaimed. He honestly couldn't have a conversation of more than thirty seconds with this guy before the need to punch his face in became unbearable. Ichigo, scowling at full force, swung his head around to face his nakama. "Oi, Rukia, are you sure that I can't kick this guy's ass?" _Come on, Rukia, say something. Anything. Look at me…_

Uryuu snorted mockingly. "Go ahead, but don't count on me to bring you to the hospital when you're sporting another hole to your throat."

"What, are you saying I can't beat him," the Vizard shouted boisterously, rising to the challenge, and then pointed behind him to a daydreaming Ulquiorra staring out the window vacantly. "This guy's obviously shaking in his boots at the thought of fighting me!"

"That's not what it looks like to me, Kurosaki." Nakama or not, Ichigo would always be an idiot in Uryuu's books. As Ichigo was shouting something or another, the Vizard didn't notice that Ulquiorra had swiftly picked up his and Orihime's books and was exiting the classroom.

"Not again! Get back here," Tatsuki shouted, following the willowy teenager. She wasn't done with him yet!

"Where do you think you're going, Ulquiorra?" Ichigo was really getting aggravated with the Arrancar's dismissive attitude. His pride just couldn't take it, so Ichigo ran off in pursuit of his target.

"Idiot," Uryuu muttered, following the angry flailing form of his orange-haired comrade.

In the newly-vacated classroom, Yasutora eyed the still-glum Rukia sympathetically. "Ichigo has a kind heart, but he isn't very perceptive or in touch with his feelings. Nothing will change unless you tell him how you feel." Silence fell heavy.

"That's the thing," Rukia finally replied with a sigh. "I don't know if I want to risk changing what we already have."

Yasutora 'hmm'-ed in understanding as the two gathered their books and left the classroom silently.

* * *

The rest of the morning ran on as expected. Ichigo tried to goad Ulquiorra into a fight, to determine once and for all who was the strongest. Uryuu and Tatsuki tried _very_ hard to cross-examine Ulquiorra on the subject of his involvement with Orihime. The teachers put _painstaking effort_ into trying to keep Ulquiorra from scaring the other students away, sharing a desk with Orihime, and speaking during class time.

All failed.

"So, you see," Orihime concluded, oblivious to the weight of her classmates' stares. "It's all really simple! You just apply the appropriate formula!"

"I see," Ulquiorra replied. Math was yet another subject that was no match for his photographic memory. The human institution of 'school' was just too easy.

The two went through a couple more problems before the bell rang, signalling the beginning of the lunch period. The room was thrown into chaos as the teacher tried to shout the homework out over the sounds of the teenagers talking to their friends and shuffling noisily out the door. Orihime gathered her books quickly, and Ulquiorra followed her lead.

"Finally, its lunchtime," Orihime exclaimed with a bright smile. "I'm starving!"

"As am I," Ulquiorra agreed, wrapping his arm around Orihime's waist casually, ready to leave with her. The moment his hand made contact with her hip, the redhead swung her head around to face him, eyes wide and gaping. Random schoolgirls giggled and whispered in the background.

Ulquiorra replied to Orihime's unspoken reproach without missing a beat. "You said we would try. I am trying, but there is only so much that I can do."

Sighing in frustration, Orihime took the offending pale hand in hers and led Ulquiorra from the classroom. As she past by her friends, she forced a smile. "I need to talk to Ulquiorra for a minute. We'll meet you guys on the roof, okay?"

Once the odd duo was safely out of earshot, the group released a collective sigh. From behind, Mizuiro verbalized what everyone was trying to avoid thinking about. "I wonder how long it'll be before they _actually_ fornicate." The spiritually-gifted beings failed to keep Tatsuki from punching the pretty-boy into the wall.

* * *

"Alright," Orihime repeated again as she and Ulquiorra climbed the stairwell to the roof. "Are the rules completely clear now?"

"Yes," Ulquiorra replied solemnly, his voice tinged with impatience. Did she think he was an idiot, or just untrustworthy? From the look in her suspicious grey eyes, he judged it was the latter.

"Repeat them again, Ulquiorra," the redhead commanded. If she was ever going to recover from the sheer mortification she's endured in the last three days, Ulquiorra needed to work with her here. They had debated over the specifics, but Orihime was adamant about the general rules, and, to Ulquiorra, she had been annoyingly unmovable. He would obviously never allow himself to _dominate_ her, but he saw no reason not to touch her in _other_ places.

Shooting the girl an irritated glare, Ulquiorra swore that he would find a way around the rules Orihime was now enforcing, on pain of exile, just because it was ridiculous that she thought she could exert power over him. _She is sorely mistaken…_

Nevertheless, Ulquiorra faithfully repeated the general orders, unblinking. "Rule One: I must not make physical contact with you beyond holding your hand or stroking your hair while in public or in the presence of your friends.

"Rule Two: I must not make physical contact with your lips, breasts, 'rear-end,' or thighs, even while alone with you or in the privacy of our home.

"Rule Three: I must never speak of any physical contact that we have ever had, or mention that we share a bed. Henceforth, I will claim that I am sleeping on the spare futon."

Orihime smiled warily, not completely satisfied. She had the nagging suspicion that he was somehow going to go out of his way from now on to break the spirit of their deal, while keeping the letter of it. The redhead sighed. _I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get to it…_

Arriving at the door to the roof of the school, bagged lunches in hand, Ulquiorra opened the door and he and Orihime stepped out into the dispersed weak sunlight.

The sky above was overcast with turbulent grey clouds, the wind blowing wildly and causing the clouds to swiftly slip eastward. "Wow, was it this cloudy before?" Orihime questioned, looking upward. "Do you think there might be a hurricane coming on, Ulquiorra?" When she was met only with silence, she mumbled something about global warming, still soaking in the sight of the beautiful twisting clouds.

Hungry, Ulquiorra took Orihime's hand and led her to where he sensed her friends. The conversation came to an abrupt stop once the two were in sight. Everyone was there, except for Keigo and Mizuiro, who were still pretending to be ignorant of the whole affair.

The day prior, when Ichigo and the rest had returned to school, Tatsuki had, as Urahara had suggested, immediately demanded that Ichigo explain exactly what was going on. The redhead had yielded, turning around and walking towards the roof entrance. At that time, Tatsuki had eyed Keigo and Mizuiro, inviting them to come along up with her. The two had looked at each other and then Keigo had shouted out in his usual annoying fashion "Ichigo can tell us about his vacation later! We've gotta go to class…".

Later, when Tatsuki had asked them about their feigned ignorance, they had said that they needed a little more time to wrap their heads around the concept of shinigami and inter-dimensional warfare. The karate adept had shrugged; she figured it was different when your best friend _wasn't_ mysteriously missing all of a sudden because of it.

"Hello, everybody," Orihime shouted enthusiastically, plopping herself down next to Tatsuki, and promptly began the necessary discussion. Ulquiorra gracefully took a seat on her other side, watching the others with eyes still guarded.

On his other side, Yasutora's voice rumbled like distant thunder. "I'm glad that you came."

Moving only his eyes, Ulquiorra eyed the man coldly. "Do not misunderstand. I came only for Orihime."

Yasutora smiled just slightly. "And I invited you for Inoue's sake." All that needed to be said was said; the two reached a mutual agreement and the conversation was over. Ulquiorra brought his attention back to Orihime and the conversation she was having with her best friend.

"Weren't you scared," Tatsuki asked, worry coating her words. Orihime took a bite out of her raw-tuna, pickle and mustard sandwich before she answered, painfully conscious of everyone's eyes on her.

"Well, yah, I guess…" Orihime tried to sneak a peek at Ulquiorra to gauge his reaction. Would he be sad to hear how terrible the experience had been for her? "But, it really wasn't that bad! Ulquiorra made sure I ate, and he was the only person I saw, most of the time, and he never hurt me–"

"You can tell the truth, Orihime," Ulquiorra cut the girl off. If there was one thing he had learnt about emotions, is that it always felt better to let them out, even if it still hurt. He remembered how tormented he had been when he had tried to suppress his feelings for Orihime, and he didn't want the girl to have to experience the same thing. Not for his sake. Even though the memories would hurt, this would be better for her in the long run. "You are a strong woman."

Their gazes locked on each other, Orihime finally decided that it would be insulting to try to protect him like this. She explained in detail the events leading up to, and including, her time as a captive (leaving out, of course, one very indiscrete moment in Ichigo's room).

Afterwards, Ulquiorra was prompted to explain his side of the story (of course leaving out his own emotional torment), including the orders he had been given by Aizen, which were essentially 'make sure she doesn't escape or die.' The end reaction was staggering.

There was a moment of silence as everyone tried to overcome their shock and horror. Orihime plastered a smile on her face, trying to be reassuring. Ichigo was the first able of form words.

"Ulquiorra, you're even more of a bastard than I thought you were," Ichigo stated, eyes still wide in horror. All the time that he had been fighting Ulquiorra, Orihime was getting beaten to a bloody pulp by jealous and sadistic Numeros? And she was saved by _Grimmjow_, of all people? Not by him, not by Rukia, not by Ishida, but by _Grimmjow_ fucking _Jeagerjacques_? Guilt swelled in his gut and throat. To think he owed anything to that bastard…

Ishida, aside from feeling horrified and guilt-ridden, was torn when it came to Ulquiorra. On the one hand, he had been exceedingly cruel to Orihime, tormenting her psychologically on an almost daily basis. On the other hand, there were small things, trivial perhaps, but still there, that seemed inconsistent with Ulquiorra's perceived character.

He was under no orders to make her feel comfortable in Las Noches, or trusting in him, so why would he tell Orihime that her dress suited her, and then suddenly get all defensive about it? Also, from what the redhead was saying, he never came in intending to hurt her, and instead seemed to become frustrated each time and ended up being hurtful. On top of that, he just walked out when Orihime had slapped him (another unbelievable part of the narrative), when it was well within his orders to punish her.

There was just too much for everyone to wrap their heads around. The circle of friends could hardly recognize the Inoue Orihime from the story. No one would ever question the inner strength that Orihime possessed, after all, it takes guts to risk your soul fighting all of Soul Society for someone you hardly know, and to go up against two Espada alone all while knowing you're outclassed.

But it was simply incomprehensible to each of them that Orihime had willingly sacrificed herself and all her dreams to protect her friends, stood up courageously to her cold and cruel kidnapper, and then had the capacity to not only forgive him for the pain he caused but also to _befriend_ him. And, although it went unsaid, to love him and care for him so tenderly.

The narrative of Orihime's last week in Las Noches had left everyone both shocked and amazed. Standing helpless before the powerful Aizen, her powers on display; the hurtful words and the threat of force-feeding. Her insistence on healing the Arrancar who had tried to torture her, even while she herself was still bleeding and in pain; her plan to destroy the Hyougoku. The anguish, the loneliness, the despair, the anger. It was more than anyone could process. Even Rukia, who had herself been a captive, could not relate to that depth of suffering and courage.

And yet Orihime smiled comfortingly. One tear-filled night, and she was ready to reassure her friends. It was then that everyone understood precisely what Ulquiorra had meant when he had said that Orihime was strong. It suddenly made sense that he thought so much more of Orihime than of Ichigo; Ulquiorra had been there to witness it all.

Orihime truly had inner strength of epic proportions.

* * *

While everyone else was busy being shell-shocked, Ulquiorra was eating his lunch casually. Hearing the events of the last week from Orihime's perspective had been insightful, even though she had still downplayed the courage she had demonstrated. It was a long time before anyone could say anything more in response to Orihime's recitation, but eventually Tatsuki broke through the tension abruptly with an incredulous tone, pointing accusingly at Ulquiorra. "What are you eating?" Everyone's eyes snapped to the half-eaten sandwich in the Arrancar's hands.

"The same as Orihime. She calls it 'raw-tuna, pickle and mustard sandwich'," Ulquiorra commented blandly, mildly confused over the incredulous stares.

"You mean," Tatsuki started, utterly surprised. "Are you saying that you actually _like_ Orihime's cooking?"

Ulquiorra's eyebrows furrowed. "It is palatable, although I don't see how that is any of your concern." That's when Tatsuki realized that something was very, very wrong here.

Testing her theory, Tatsuki handed Ulquiorra a quarter of the neatly-cut turkey sandwich her mother had prepared for her. Ulquiorra cocked an eyebrow. "Try it, and tell me how it tastes."

Impassively, the Arrancar ate the piece in three bites, and then looked up to meet everyone's questioning and expectant gaze. "It is palatable."

"I knew it," Tatsuki exclaimed before turning towards Orihime. "Why are you doing this to him?"

Orihime crossed her arms beneath her gigantic breasts and huffed indignantly. "I'm not doing anything to him! Ulquiorra _likes_ my cooking!"

"You're–" Tatsuki gaped, grasping for words. "You're corrupting his virgin taste buds!"

"Am not!" The pout was on full-force.

"Are to!" Despite the accusation, Tatsuki smiled, happy to see that the tension had dissolved from Orihime's brow. She knew that the sensitive girl hated making others worry. Tatsuki was happy to know that she still knew Orihime best, that Orihime was still Orihime. Nothing else mattered.

As the two best friends bickered good-heartedly, Ulquiorra turned his apathetic gaze towards the petite shinigami Kuchiki Rukia. His serious tone stood in stark contrast to Orihime's bubbly voice. "How far along are the funerary services?"

Although Rukia was surprised that Ulquiorra was addressing her, she answered his query without hesitation. "The funerary ceremony for Komamura-taichou is starting tomorrow, and Kira-fukutaichou's will start three days later, on Sunday," Rukia paused for a moment, questioning the wisdom of saying the next part. "There will also be services for Ichimaru Gin sometime next week."

"So I would be correct in assuming that I should not be expecting the arrival of an envoy of Soul Society before late next week?" Ulquiorra's voice was distant, detached, although internally he was already making plans.

"Yes, I don't think that Yamamoto-soutaichou would send anyone back to the Material World until after the mourning period," Rukia agreed, shocking Ichigo and Uryuu with her openness towards the former Espada. Ichigo had half a mind of dragging her somewhere private and questioning her until she told him exactly why she was acting so strangely. Her continually distant attitude towards him was driving the Vizard insane. "After all, Yamamoto-soutaichou had been very fond of Komamura-taichou."

Silence fell again on the larger part of the group, as Ulquiorra once again retreated into his thoughts. Utterly indecipherable, the others couldn't read any emotion from his eyes or face, try as they may. A moment later, Ulquiorra once again asked a question. "What happened to the rest of the Espada?"

Once again, Rukia spoke out truthfully, based on the official report of the Las Noches invasion. "The whereabouts and status of the tenth Espada are unknown. The ninth, eighth, and seventh Espada were killed in the invasion and are confirmed dead. The sixth and fifth Espada were left mortally wounded. The third and second Espada were killed in the battle against Aizen, and are confirmed dead. The first espada survived, was healed, and left to Hueco Mundo in peace."

"And what of Neliel?"

"Wait a second, how do you know about Nel," Ichigo demanded, startled. Ulquiorra hadn't seemed to have recognized her the last time they had met…

"Isn't it obvious? I knew that your group couldn't possibly have arrived at Las Noches so quickly on your own, so I looked into it. I then recognized Neliel's Fraccion when I saw them through the surveillance cameras and made the obvious connection." The truth was, Neliel had disappeared before Ulquiorra had become an Arrancar, and he knew of her and her Fraccion only from Aizen's records. That was why he hadn't spared a passing glance to the fallen third Espada.

Ichigo settled down somewhat, still eyeing the Arrancar warily. "Oh."

"The last we heard of Nel, she had been weakened and knocked unconscious during the fight with Nnoitora, but she wasn't in any mortal danger. We assume that she has returned safely with her brothers back to the desert," Rukia stated.

Ulquiorra took the information in. Given a second wave of invaders, these results were utterly expected. Sighing internally, the Arrancar realized that the next few weeks were going to be turbulent. And then there was the other small matter of Urahara Kisuke.

_No matter_, Ulquiorra decided, gazing once more at Orihime. She was still trying to be reassuring, raving about how comfortable the big white couch in her cell had been. The redhead had a big goofy smile on her face and was blushing slightly from the attention. Her friends couldn't help but think that she was alright.

_If it is necessary, I will overturn Heaven and Earth... For her…_


	11. No Hollow Love

Hitsugaya Toushiro, child prodigy, Captain of the Tenth Division, was at a complete loss. Rigidly, he stood before a closed sliding door, his eyes passing over every knick and scratch in the smooth dark wood.

Toushiro didn't know what to do. Should he knock? Should be just walk in? They had spent their childhoods together, lived under the same roof. They used to be so intimate; Toushiro would even know when she would wet her bed. There had never been any boundaries between the two, they were like brother and sister, so why did she now feel so far away?

The white-haired pre-teen knew why. Everything that the girl was now, she had become for Aizen. It was why she had worked so hard at the Shinigami Academy. It was why she had joined the Gotei 13. It was why she had trained day in and day out to become the Fukutaichou of the Fifth Division. Serving Aizen had been her driving purpose for all this time, so how could Toushiro face her now that he had killed that purpose?

Tentatively, the captain raised his hand, knocking softly on the wooden door. A moment later, a feeble voice called to him from within. "Come in."

Slowly, Toushiro opened the door, casting light on the frail girl sitting up on her futon. She was dressed in the standard white patient's frock, although she had already been discharged from the Fourth Division. The ebony-haired girl was gazing out the large window that opened to the opulent parks behind the Fifth Division headquarters, her hands folded on her lap. As the captain stepped into the room, the girl looked down from the window to the neutral blue sheets.

"Captain Hitsugaya," the Fukutaichou murmured in greeting, although it sounded more like she was testing the feeling of the words on her tongue. Toushiro's eyes widened momentarily, as he slowly approached the bed. He still couldn't see her face.

"Hinamori…" the captain started, unsure of what to say but wanting to say _something_. He sat at the edge of Momo's futon, trying to coax her into looking at him. They sat in silence for what felt like eternity.

"He's… really dead…" Momo's voice was hoarse, from disuse or from crying, Toushiro wasn't sure. It was probably both.

"Yeah…" The captain had never before felt so helpless. He struggled with his guilt to keep his eyes on the girl before him. "I'm sorry, Hinamori." Silence fell heavy.

"I can't believe it," Momo whispered, almost to herself. Her shoulders were hunched, her head down, and everything about her being was small and vulnerable. "All this time… All this time, he was…" Toushiro waited with worry-clouded eyes as she swallowed back a sob.

"For-For _thirty years_ he was just pretending," Momo demanded, just a hint of hysteria in her voice. "All those times he helped me train, and smiled at me, and was so kind to me… none of it was real…? I-It's not possible for someone to, to be able to _pretend_ like that! It just… isn't…" Her voice drifted off as tears dropped from her eyes onto small hands that clenched the bedcovers. Toushiro, not knowing what to say, remained silent, turquoise eyes turbulent.

"What can I believe in now," the girl demanded, her voice broken. "How can I believe anything when I can't even trust what I see with my own eyes?" Toushiro clenched his fists so hard he thought they would bleed.

"It was all a lie," Momo raved, more tears falling as she tried to pull air into her lungs. "Everything that I thought I was was a lie! I couldn't be useful to Aizen-taichou, I couldn't protect anyone, and, in the end, I only made things worse!"

The girl's voice abruptly fell to a whisper. "I tried to hurt you, Shiro-chan, I _raised my sword to you_," she spat the words with disgust. Still gripping the blanket as if her life depended on it, Momo raised her small fists to her heart, trying desperately to keep her quivering chest together. She gasped for air between her tears. "I'm so sorry, Shiro-chan, I'm _so sorry_…"

The next moment, the crying girl felt strong arms encircle her, and for the first time she looked up to meet Toushiro's gaze. She gasped when she saw his face, twisted with pain, pure agony filling his glossy eyes like unshed tears. Before she could so much as open her mouth to speak, Toushiro brought her even closer, pushing her flush against his chest and gripping her desperately. His head hung low, as if in penitence, almost leaning against the girl's thin shoulder. Overcome with emotion, his whole body shook, and he held Momo even tighter, terrified of letting her go again, _unable_ to let her go again.

Tears beginning anew with explosive force, Momo wrapped her arms around Toushiro's torso and buried her face in his shirt. Some small part of her wondered if her childhood friend's chest had always been so wide.

* * *

After the necessary initial awkwardness, Orihime greatly enjoyed her lunch hour. She chatted happily with Ulquiorra, well aware of his unease with being so entrenched in enemy territory. The conversation drifted easily from one topic to another, ultimately covering a wide range of issues that the redhead thought would help Ulquiorra function in the human world. Although he was still unhappy opening up around Ichigo and his other former enemies, the Arrancar soon found it easy to pretend as if they weren't even there.

Orihime, always the friendly one, joked with and teased Ulquiorra playfully, and he couldn't help but respond to the happiness and glee that emanated from her. He found her good humour contagious.

"So, Ulquiorra," Orihime started, smiling at her new friend genuinely. "You've had most of your classes already, what do you think?"

This was one of the questions that the Ulquiorra of yesterday would consider not answering. The Ulquiorra of today understood just how enjoyable Orihime's company was. "The classes are undemanding." The simple statement caused Orihime to widen her eyes.

"You're not serious!" Unconsciously, the redhead leaned towards Ulquiorra, eyes probing his. "I'm going to be up all night doing my make-up work!"

"If you like, I can do it for you," the Arrancar offered in gentle monotone. Once again, Orihime's eyes widened, but this time they revealed just a little hope.

"You'd do that for me," the girl asked dreamily, obviously enraptured by the possibility of a smaller workload.

"For a price," Ulquiorra amended, amused by the barely-discernable dulling of Orihime's deep grey eyes. Nevertheless, the teenager clung to her hope.

"I'll make you something extra-delicious for supper," Orihime tempted, raising her thin eyebrows suggestively. In turn, the emerald-eyed teenager reached into his pocket, extracting a pristinely folded loose leaf.

Scooting over next to Ulquiorra until their legs were pressed against each other, Orihime leaned over to read what the willowy man was pointing at. Immediately a crimson blush pooled over her cheeks. "Are you sure you wouldn't want one of your own… I mean, we can definitely make room…"

"No," Ulquiorra asserted, his voice no-nonsense. "This is the one demand that I will not yield. You will give in on this stipulation in exchange for my services." Orihime sighed. He was testing her limits, of that she was sure.

"Don't you think that that will be a little _difficult_," the redhead stressed, her heart-shaped face contorting as she tried to drop her hint.

"On the contrary," Ulquiorra responded, seemingly oblivious to Orihime's attempts to communicate via facial expression. Ironically, his emerald eyes still felt like they pierced her soul. "It is difficult fitting both of our bodies comfortably on such a small area. It would be too easy for me to inadvertently trespass on your boundaries and therefore be evicted."

"Well, if it's at night-time, I can't exactly blame you for it," Orihime grumbled shyly, diverting her eyes as again a blush crept onto her cheeks. She was painfully conscious both of her close physical proximity to Ulquiorra and of the vague inquisitiveness of her friends across the loose circle.

"Orihime," Ulquiorra commented after a moment, almost nonchalantly, "the victories you have won up until this point pale in comparison to the victory I have just achieved." Orihime's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but before she could raise her voice, Ulquiorra changed the subject.

"Are you quite intent on keeping the walls yellow," the Arrancar asked, glancing distractedly at the list between himself and Orihime.

"I was actually thinking about that," she exclaimed, Ulquiorra's question awakening some pool of excitement in the grey-eyed girl. "Because all of this is symbolic of our compromise, why don't we, for the walls, go half-way between white and yellow, and paint the walls a nice creamy beige!"

Silently, Ulquiorra considered. "Then the tables would need to be made of glass."

Orihime cheered. She _knew_ they worked on the same wavelength. "Now you get my drift!"

* * *

Ulquiorra and Orihime continued to discuss their future redecoration plans, when suddenly Orihime was overcome by a massive yawn. Bringing her hand to her mouth, the teenager wavered slightly from the lack of support. Concerned, the Arrancar took hold of Orihime's thin arms, and brought the back of her head to rest gently against his shoulder. As he did when the redhead had been asleep, Ulquiorra stroked Orihime's hair gently, soothingly. The girl closed her eyes and exhaled tiredly.

Tatsuki, noticing the scene, raised her voice. "Have ya been sleeping, Orihime?"

"Yah," Orihime murmured, "but not well. I keep having this same dream about this king with the most beautiful green ey-" Abruptly, the redhead cut herself off as she realized what she was saying. Biting her lower lip, Orihime cursed her bad habit of letting out secrets.

"A king," Tatsuki questioned, an eyebrow quirked. Had Orihime been about to say what she thought she had been about to say? For her to have stopped herself… Well, it seemed that the attraction wasn't purely subconscious after all…

"Yah," the redhead repeated with a nod, blushing slightly. The phrase "and then there's the nightmares" went unsaid.

"Well, either that or I'm pregnant… I'm also really hungry…"

Tatsuki rolled her eyes. "You're always hungry."

"What does it mean to be pregnant?" The question mildly startled everyone, but Orihime literally jumped from her reclined position, suddenly wide awake. Propped up on her knees, her orange hair shaking violently along with her head, she faced Ulquiorra with wildly-waving hands.

"It doesn't mean anything! Nothing at all! I don't even know where that came from! Forget I even mentioned it!" Ulquiorra just slightly raised a thin eyebrow. He had seen her behave like this before…

"It has something to do with 'sex'," the Arrancar deduced, eyes serious and piercing. What was it that was so important that Orihime would try to keep it from him?

Orihime's eyes, by now, had become saucers, and her face was precisely as red as a beet. She tried to get something intelligible out, but could only seem to splutter incoherently. By now, the others had tuned in to the conversation, and were staring with intrigue, repulsion, and mild humour, at the scene before them.

"Orihime, what have you been teaching this guy," Tatsuki chided in an exasperated tone. The redhead ignored her completely.

"What is it that you are attempting to hide from me, Orihime," Ulquiorra's melodic voice sounded, completely serious. When he received no articulate answer, the Arrancar resorted to his back-up. "Even if you do not tell me, I will discover the meaning of those words in the 'dictionary'." Who would have thought that a Japanese class would prove so useful?

The redhead looked as if she were about to have a heart-attack. How could he mention something like that in front of her friends? In front of Ichigo! What would he think of her now?

And what would Ulquiorra do with this particular piece of knowledge? If he were to discover that sex wasn't a lowly, reprehensible act, would he give up trying to contain his urges? Would Orihime be able to stave of a horny _and_ resolute Ulquiorra? Something told her she wouldn't. The teenager's internal ravings, however, were cut short by a very-much unwelcome train of thought.

Unwanted images began to surface in Orihime's mind. What if they did end up having sex? What if Orihime had somehow gotten pregnant? The redhead's overactive imagination conjured images of a baby with snow-white skin, charcoal-black hair, and stunning green eyes. As she imagined all the adventures that the three of them would have together, of them becoming the first father-mother-daughter drag racing team to hit the national stage, Orihime didn't notice when Ulquiorra got up and walked away, fully intending on finding the closest Japanese dictionary.

Breaking from her daze with a start, Orihime belatedly sprang from her seat and chased after a retreating Ulquiorra. "No! It really isn't interesting! Not at all! You won't like it!" Orihime's frantic wails faded away as she pursued her former captor, running frantically down the stairs.

Tatsuki sighed. Man, there was something just plain _weird_ about their relationship. Orihime opened up around Ulquiorra in a way that she didn't for anyone else. And, judging from that scene just a moment ago, things had already gotten pretty awkward for Orihime.

_Oh well_, Tatsuki thought, _at least they're enjoying themselves_. Looking around to the other people seated beside her, drenched in an uncomfortable silence, the teenager held back a snigger. _Can't say the same for these guys, though…_

As a welcome reprieve from the tension, Rukia's phone rang at the same moment that Ichigo's badge blared out the alert. Abruptly, the shinigami snapped out of the daze that she had been in all day and

pulled out the phone. The next second, it was open and the location of the Hollow was memorized. Ichigo reached for the badge, and swiftly dove out of his body. Rukia popped a Chappy into her mouth.

"Come on, Ichigo," Rukia yelled, and the Vizard flew to her side. Partners again in a way that transcended all tension and division, the two raced from the roof in the direction of the Hollow.

* * *

Struggling and panting could be heard from one of the school's second-story hallways. The turbulent clouds outside casted dispersed grey-blue light into the hall, while the rising humidity added a certain weight to the air. At the center of all of this, Ulquiorra and Orihime were in a rather compromising position against the lockers.

"Alright, Ulquiorra," Orihime conceded, physically blocking Ulquiorra off from her locker. Of course, in the vacant hallway, he was groping her mercilessly, his hands roving over every inch of her body that he was allowed to. Unable to claim a breaking of the contract, and unable to run away lest Ulquiorra get his hands on her dictionary, Orihime could only give in. "We'll buy a bigger bed." Ulquiorra eyed her impassively for a moment.

"I no longer demand the purchase of a larger bed," the Arrancar stated simply, and Orihime almost blanched in confusion. In her experience, Ulquiorra didn't give up so easily when he really wanted something…

"What are you planning," Orihime questioned, voice openly coloured with suspicion. Ulquiorra continued to glare steadily.

"Why are you keeping secrets from me," the Arrancar asked coldly in return, almost challengingly. Orihime stared back at him, her gaze wary.

A densely-charged atmosphere, reminiscent of their times as guard and prisoner, drowned the murky hallway. Volumes of wordless communication were conveyed before Ulquiorra decided to suckle Orihime's neck, and Orihime decided that this was a fight that she'd be willing to lose.

After all, if it made him happy, what was a little sensual contact?

He'd learn to contain his urges, and she would have done a favour for another human being.

There was no harm in it.

…Right?

* * *

Rukia heaved a heavy sigh, her body tingling from the massive amount of spirit energy she had just released from her palms. To her side, Ichigo swung his ebony blade, dealing the finishing blow to the Hollow. With a horrible screech, the tortured soul disintegrated, fading into the grey-black sky.

"Huh," Ichigo breathed, wiping sweat from his furrowed brow. Rukia, trying to keep up appearances, forced herself to look up at her orange-haired friend. "This definitely isn't normal."

The shinigami diverted her eyes. The beads of sweat making a path down his strong neck, Ichigo's smouldering brown eyes; it was too much for her. She needed to think about something safe, she needed a distraction.

"This _is_ odd," Rukia replied, her eyes searching for something interesting along the now-empty street. "Not only have Hollows been appearing at an increased frequency, but they are also much more powerful than usual."

"Do ya think it might have something to do with Aizen," Ichigo questioned, eyes wide, eager to pursue any sort of conversation with his closest nakama.

"None of these Hollows have been modified, so it isn't likely that they are acting for Aizen," Rukia brooded, a foreboding feeling creeping into her gut. "I would think that the appearances of these powerful Hollows would have more to do with the _death_ of Aizen and his Espada."

"So," Ichigo concluded, "all we can do is ride it out?"

Rukia was silent a moment, considering. She still couldn't meet Ichigo's probing eyes. "Ulquiorra probably knows something about how Hollows in Hueco Mundo would react to Aizen's death. When we get back, I'll talk to him privately." Rukia turned on her heels and headed back in the direction of the school. Ichigo frowned.

"I'll go with you," Ichigo offered as nonchalantly as he could. He knew she'd be insulted to know that he was worried about her.

Rukia frowned; as if it wasn't difficult enough for her to always be around the object of her unrequited affection as it was. "That isn't necessary, Ichigo." Rukia's cold tone was a stark contrast to the warmth in her chest. She cursed herself for being flustered over the Vizard's protectiveness.

Ichigo's frown grew even deeper. "Listen, Rukia, I know that you're strong, but Ulquiorra's above Captain-class. He's dangerous, so why can't you just swallow your pride and let me protect you for once?"

"I'm not your damsel in distress, Ichigo. I can handle myself," Rukia countered, but then immediately regretted her words. She wasn't a damsel in distress, but she still dreamt of her happy ending with her knight in shining black armour. Rukia felt the need to amend. "Besides, Ulquiorra isn't going to hurt anyone. You've seen for yourself how much he's changed."

"That doesn't matter," Ichigo asserted, raising his voice. Why couldn't she understand that he was worried about her? "For all we know, he could be faking it! I'm not going to risk getting you killed!"

"I'm not going to get killed, because Ulquiorra would never hurt me," Rukia yelled back. Ulquiorra was in love with Orihime, and nothing Rukia or anyone else could say or do would make Ulquiorra risk losing her. Rukia understood that perfectly. _And Ichigo would understand it too if he loved me back…_ Suddenly, a heavy sadness weighed down on Rukia's shoulders. She sped up her pace, leaving Ichigo to walk alone.

Ichigo heaved a frustrated sigh. Rukia sure was keen on talking to Ulquiorra alone…

The orange-haired Vizard jolted to a stop. And Rukia had been the one to demand that no one bother him. And she had also mentioned him the night prior, when she asked about whether he would approve of a relationship between Ulquiorra and Orihime… And then the petite shinigami had worn eyes so sad… As if the thought of Ulquiorra and Orihime together hurt her deep…

Realization hit Ichigo like a ton of bricks. He swung his head up to stare at his closest friend with wide, incredulous, furious eyes. _No fucking way…_

* * *

By the end of the lunch period, Ulquiorra and Orihime were still enjoying each other, at what was now their shared locker. (Of course, Ulquiorra had received a locker of his own, but, unsurprisingly, he refused to use it.) Once people began drifting back into the halls, Ulquiorra had stepped back from Orihime and they easily began talking again. The two continued to converse, and Orihime visibly grew more and more excited as they got their books and approached the classroom.

"The next class is my favourite," Orihime cheered with a smile, as she and her roommate walked into the already-full classroom. The room was larger than most, and the desks were arranged in squares of four. Most students were already seated, chatting with their neighbours and friends, without a care in the world. A few kids were throwing crumpled balls of paper at each other from across the room. Large, clear windows extended over the far wall, offering a view of turbulent storm clouds outside.

"Art?" Somehow, Ulquiorra wasn't surprised. Looking around the bustling classroom, the Arrancar caught sight of the teacher, a slender woman, probably in her early forty's, with unkempt frizzy brown hair. She was looking over the work of a meek student, as she raved about how art was supposed to be an expression of the artist's soul, and commanded the student in a passionate tone to release her inner genius.

Ulquiorra knew right away that he wasn't going to enjoy this particular class.

"Ayashi-sensei," Orihime squealed as she skipped towards the teacher. Upon hearing her name, the middle-aged woman looked up in surprise and then squealed 'Inoue!'.

"Where have you been all this time, my top student," Ayashi-sensei exclaimed when said redhead popped up before her, a big smile on her face, as she held her hands together cutely behind her back.

"I've been on vacation!"

"Wow, that's marvellous, where to," the teacher questioned, her smile just as excited as Orihime's.

"Canada," the girl lied easily.

The teacher wore a look of childish awe. "That's so cool! But wasn't it cold there?"

"Just a little, but the secret to staying warm is," Orihime explained, her index finger pointing up to the ceiling. The teacher held her breath in anticipation. "To dress in layers!" Ayashi-sensei clapped her thin hands in appreciation, gaudy blue bracelets clattering noisily.

"Did you bring me any souvenirs," the childish teacher teased.

Orihime's smile got even wider. "No, but look who came back with me!" Orihime took hold of Ulquiorra's hand and pulled him forward to greet the teacher. "This is Ulquiorra Schiffer, my friend from Canada who has come to live in Japan!"

The teacher looked her new student over from head to toe, gazing appraisingly at the tear-streaks that cascaded from Ulquiorra's shocking green eyes. In a graceful motion, the Arrancar raised his arm, offering the principal's note to the quirky teacher. Ayashi-sensei and Orihime stared at Ulquiorra with expectant eyes, obviously waiting for him to introduce himself.

When he didn't, the teacher took the paper from the Arrancar's pallid hand and turned her animated gaze to Orihime. "The strong, silent type, isn't he? How nice!"

Orihime laughed nervously, scratching the back of her head. "Well, not really…"

Once the teacher had read the note, she handed it back to Ulquiorra, and he made his way to the least-occupied corner of the classroom, sitting with his back to the closed window. Waving enthusiastically to the teacher, and then to Yasutora, Uryuu, and Tatsuki across the room, Orihime followed him.

"Isn't Ayashi-sensei so cool?" Orihime gushed as she took a seat next to the unsmiling Ulquiorra.

"No," Orihime's smile dropped suddenly, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"You… don't like her…?"

"No," Ulquiorra repeated, looking through the class supplies. What was the point of having so many pencils? "She is a lunatic."

Offended now, Orihime crossed her arms beneath her. "She is not," the girl huffed indignantly.

"Yes, she is," Ulquiorra countered. "And you are foolish for looking up to her."

As the two continued to bicker, the class was called into order. Ayashi-sensei was just about to begin explaining the project for the day, when Kurosaki Ichigo and Kuchiki Rukia walked into the classroom, trying not to pant for air. From the sweat on both their brows, it seemed that they had just done a whole lot of running.

"May I ask why you two are late," the teacher demanded, her eyebrows raised in expectation.

"We… got lost…?" Ichigo attempted. A few students sniggered.

"Oh," the teacher accepted, no longer glaring. "Okay. Take a seat."

Immediately, Rukia ghosted past Ichigo, and sat at the desk opposite Orihime's. The redhead smiled and waved merrily, and Rukia forced herself to muster a smile. A moment later, a grumbling Ichigo went to sit next to the petite shinigami, shooting an angry glare at Ulquiorra as he sat down. _Figures she'd want to sit next to him,_ Ichigo seethed bitterly. Of course, the Vizard didn't realize that those seats were the only free seats left.

"Now, as I was saying, for today's sketch, I want you to draw what you despise the most is all of the worlds! I am asking you to _bear_ your _soul_! You must _infuse_ your work with all of the _passion_ and…." The sensei continued to rave in an overbearingly dramatic voice, until she suddenly stopped and decided that she needed coffee.

"Hmm…" Orihime sounded as she raised her eyes in contemplation. "What do I hate the most in all of the worlds… It's really hard to tell, because I don't really dislike anything…"

"I am certain that you can think of something, Orihime," Ulquiorra commented. Orihime leaned over to his side of the desk.

"Ulquiorra, what are you going to draw," Orihime asked innocently. Weren't Hollows supposed to be full of anger and hatred? She was afraid to know.

"I harbour no hatred towards anything." Orihime raised an incredulous eyebrow, searching her brain for the more distant memories of the less friendly Ulquiorra.

"What about trash?" Ulquiorra shot Orihime a look. He would have rolled his eyes.

"Trash are precisely that, trash. They are dirt beneath my feet, and do not even merit my consideration," Ulquiorra stated blandly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. It took him by surprise that Orihime's eyes turned sad, her lower lip quivering slightly.

"Even me," Orihime couldn't help but ask, her stupid, annoying inferiority complex nagging her again.

Ulquiorra responded by looking at her as if she had gone mad. "You are not trash." Ichigo was trash. Uryuu was trash. Ayashi was trash. Orihime was definitely not trash.

"But… you said, that time-"

"I lied," Ulquiorra interrupted impatiently. He hated how this girl could be so weak sometimes. Why couldn't she defend herself like she defended her useless friends? "Why would I want to spend the rest of my existence with you if you were trash?" Orihime smiled and blushed, while Ichigo held himself back from going bankai on the Arrancar's ass. How could he say that so carelessly in front of Rukia? Damn cold, insensitive bastard.

"Oh," Orihime replied, as she continued to search her brain. She _had_ detected some animosity… "What about Grimmjow? Don't you hate him?" Ulquiorra paused.

"Grimmjow is indeed an annoyance, but he too is too insignificant for me to regard with dislike," Ulquiorra intoned dispassionately.

Orihime took the Arrancar's words into consideration. "Okay, well then, what has made you the angriest lately?"

"Ishida Uryuu," Ulquiorra replied immediately. Ichigo, although he had been trying very hard to block out the conversation across from him and concentrate on not pouncing on Ulquiorra like a protective mama lioness, cocked an eyebrow.

"What did Ishida-kun ever do," Orihime demanded, indignant.

"He made you cry yesterday," the raven-haired teenager stated simply. Orihime blushed again.

"Okay, then it isn't Ishida-kun that you dislike…" Orihime began.

"…I hate seeing you cry," Ulquiorra realized, as Orihime cheered him on encouragingly with a 'there you go!'. That made sense, he supposed, seeing as how all the powerful emotions he had ever felt, without exception, revolved around Orihime. Because these new feelings were still so raw, he very often couldn't even begin to decipher them.

Across from Ulquiorra, Ichigo rolled his eyes. They were already finishing each other's sentences. It really was ridiculous… A moment later, Ichigo's concerned eyes wandered to the girl beside him. Her eyebrows were stitched together, her large violet eyes sad, as she stared intently at her horribly-drawn sketch.

She was already at the colouring stage, filling in a lot of green and a little orange in the background. In the foreground, there were thick grey lines that stretched from one side of the sheet to another, shaped vaguely like a fence. Ichigo's frown deepened, the presence and symbolism of the orange trees eluding him completely.

Diverting his eyes in frustration, Ichigo's gaze landed right in front of him, to Ulquiorra's sketch. The Arrancar's hand moved swiftly across the large page, never hesitating and never erasing. His movements were mechanical, but the product was spectacular. He saw Orihime, with tears in her determined grey eyes, her lips pursed together in pain. One of her hands was raised in a threatening gesture that was also impossibly frail.

Orihime, meanwhile, was drawing a barred window, and through it, a reversed crescent moon. She wore an expression of intense concentration, her peach fingers running messily through her long silken hair, her pink tongue peeking out from the side of her mouth. Several times, Ichigo caught Ulquiorra staring at her. As the Arrancar drew, he would sneak peeks at Orihime's chaotic sketch, at her dishevelled hair, at her determined eyes, and, at a disturbing frequency, the redhead's open mouth and little pink tongue.

Disgusted and enraged, Ichigo wondered if Ulquiorra was aware of Rukia's feelings for him. If the Arrancar _was_ aware, and he was consciously acting like this in front of the petite shinigami, Ichigo wouldn't be able to hold himself back from cutting that heartless bastard into tiny little pieces. Not that he was doing very well at containing his anger, Ichigo realized as he looked down at the pencil that had just snapped under the force of his grip.

At that moment, there was only one thing that Ichigo could think of drawing. Beyond his weakness, helplessness, and insufficiency. Beyond Aizen, beyond all the regret that has amassed over the course of his short, sixteen-year life. Beyond even his inner Hollow, the bane of his existence. Ichigo brought the tip of his pencil to the paper.

* * *

A few minutes passed in content silence as Orihime finished up her rather simple drawing. She knew that Ayashi-sensei would probably be expecting something a lot more detailed and creative than a barred window, but it was really the best thing to represent everything she had hated about Las Noches. As Orihime was wondering about the perspective of the sketch, Ulquiorra spoke.

"I have completed the assignment," the former Espada declared sombrely. Orihime looked up from her work to take a look at Ulquiorra's drawing, and was thoroughly amazed.

"Wow, Ulquiorra! It's beautiful! It looks just like a picture," the girl raved, as she clapped her hands together appraisingly. The Arrancar just sat quietly, trying to hide the feelings that the redhead's words were stirring in him. His pride was like that of a grade-schooler who had just earned a sticker.

"Oh, I've got an idea, Ulquiorra," Orihime exclaimed. "Can you draw me as a cat-person?" Ulquiorra mechanically turned his head to face Orihime, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"Why would you want a drawing of yourself as a cat-person," the tear-streaked teenager intoned, mild bewilderment evident in his deep eyes. Orihime almost bounced from her seat in eagerness.

"Well, you see, I once had this dream where-" The girl was abruptly interrupted by an unmistakable shaking of the dimension.

"Oh, no," Orihime gasped, the familiar feeling bringing her to another place and time.

Ulquiorra recognized it first for what it was, a ripping of the space-time, the opening of Garganta. From the dark abyss emerged a Hollow of unmistakable power. After a long, long half-second, the blaring siren of Ichigo's shinigami badge screamed 'Hollow-Hollow-Hollow'. Seven people simultaneously rose from their chairs. Ulquiorra, collected and aloof, ghosted around his desk to stand before Ichigo.

"Sensei, I gotta go –" Ichigo started, already starting to dash for the door, when Ulquiorra's hand took a firm grip of the collar of his shirt. The surprised Vizard turned to glare, while struggling on the Arrancar's solid hold. "Ulquiorra, what the fu –"

"Listen carefully, Kurosaki," the Arrancar spoke in a quiet voice for Ichigo and Rukia, so that the ignorant bystanders couldn't hear. Inconspicuously dragging the disgruntled teenager to the window behind him, Ulquiorra reached his free arm around to open the large window. "The Hollow that has just arrived in the Material World is an Adjucas with a small, winged form. He is fast, although his defensive power is weak. A deadly airborne poison is excreted from his feathers, therefore you must not approach him too closely."

"Wha –"

"Have you retained this information," Ulquiorra questioned calmly, while making a show of raising his fist in a menacing gesture. Ichigo nodded, confused and frantic. "Good. Now remove yourself from your body." Ichigo just managed to dive out of his physical form in time to avoid Ulquiorra's solid punch to his jaw.

Rukia, keeping in mind Ulquiorra's advice, was out of her body in a second and flew out the open window. Ichigo, perched on the sill, eyes determined, threw a strained 'thanks' behind his back to the impassive Arrancar before he jumped out to follow his shinigami comrade.

Dropping the limp body uncaringly, Ulquiorra turned towards Yasutora and Uryuu, ignoring the shrieks of the sensei and the students. "I believe that I have overreacted. Ishida, Sado, please go offer your aid to Kurosaki." The two nodded, understanding the situation immediately.

Quickly, they ran from the classroom in pursuit of their friend, Yasutora grabbing Ichigo's body. As the tall burly man slung Ichigo's empty shell over his shoulder, he caught sight of the single sheet on Ichigo's desk, and the distinct form of a petite young woman's retreating form. Allowing a smile to reach his lips, Yasutora dashed out the classroom door, quickly catching up to Uryuu.

"Ulquiorra," Orihime pleaded at the Arrancar's side, obviously confused and desperate for information. "What's going on? You know the Hollow that's just appeared?"

"Yes," Ulquiorra intoned calmly, as he returned to his seat. Of course, he ignored the sensei's high-pitched demand that he go to the Principal's office. "I came across him in Hueco Mundo several decades ago."

"Ulquiorra Schiffer," Ayashi-sensei mispronounced, shrieking into the ashen-skinned teenager's ear. "Don't you dare ignore me! Go to the Principal's office immediately!" Finally, Ulquiorra decided to turn his gaze to the thick-browed woman.

"It would be very irresponsible of me to leave Orihime unprotected," the Arrancar stated blandly, taking hold of the redhead's hand for emphasis.

"This is all a misunderstanding, Ayashi-sensei," Orihime interjected, frustrated at this important conversation being interrupted. She didn't like doing it, but the redhead lied on the spot. "Ulquiorra was just defending me when Kurosaki-kun said some inappropriate things!" The teacher eyed her incredulously. "…it's a difference of culture!"

"We'll, Inoue, if you're so adamant about defending him," Ayashi-sensei concluded, still seething, "then why don't you go with him to the Office?" Ulquiorra immediately stood to his feet, and dragged Orihime out of the class behind him, his graceful pace so brisk that she almost tripped on her own feet as she was pulled.

* * *

As soon as the door was closed and the two were safely out in the empty hallway, Orihime turned to her roommate, frantic.

"We've got to go help them! Kurosaki-kun and Kuchiki-san could be in trouble by now," the redhead exclaimed, ready to make a run for it. Ulquiorra's hand, however, held hers tightly.

"There is no risk, Orihime," the Arrancar stated, his firm voice reassuring. Cold emerald eyes fixated on Orihime's terrified grey orbs. "I have given Kurosaki Ichigo and Kuchiki Rukia all the information that is needed to counter the Adjucas' most effective attacks. Defeating such an opponent will be elementary for someone of their levels." When he spoke, it was a simple statement of fact. There was no reason for her to be so concerned.

However, Ulquiorra knew immediately that the redhead wasn't remotely satisfied with that answer. The pallid man heaved an internal sigh. "Both Kurosaki Ichigo and Kuchiki Rukia are skilled warriors who have defeated opponents far more formidable than this lowly Adjucas. My warning was not essential to their survival, and served only to ensure that they remain uninjured." And, of course, to earn him some trust…

"But why is an Adjucas even in the Material World," Orihime demanded, although more to herself than to Ulquiorra. She instinctively approached the former Espada, almost leaning into his willowy form. "Something weird must be going on…"

Ulquiorra wrapped his arm around Orihime's shoulder, holding her close. "Do not allow it to worry you, Orihime. I will take care of this problem as soon as its root cause has manifested itself." The redhead looked up from Ulquiorra's chest, eyes revealing plain bafflement.

"What do you mean, Ulquio-" Orihime started, before she heard the door slam shut behind her, and footsteps rapidly approaching her.

"Orihime," Tatsuki shouted, possessively yanking the busty teenager from Ulquiorra's hold. "I just ditched class, let's get outta here before Ayashi notices." Tatsuki tugged Orihime, who tugged Ulquiorra, and the three ended up half-way down the staircase at the end of the hall.

"What the hell is going on," the karate adept demanded once they had reached a safe distance. Orihime brought the tips of her index fingers together before her, playing with them cutely.

"Well, nothing out of the ordinary, actually…" When Orihime looked up and was met with Tatsuki's sceptical look, her balled fists positioned rebelliously on her hips, she amended her statement. "The Hollow's just a little stronger than usual, so Ulquiorra gave Kurosaki-kun and Kuchiki-san some advice…"

"Out of the goodness of his heart," Tatsuki mocked dryly, eyeing Ulquiorra with suspicion.

"For Orihime's sake," the Arrancar countered in perfect monotone.

Tatsuki scoffed. "_Sure_."

Silence fell heavy on the group, as Tatsuki and Ulquiorra stared each other down. As expected, Tatsuki blinked first, losing the first contest. She came back with vengeance a moment later, only to lose after another thirty tense seconds. One could almost see the steam bursting from Tatsuki's ears.

Five minutes later, the score was ten to nothing, with no end in sight. Orihime finally gathered the courage to break the heavy, deadly silence. "Um… Ulquiorra and I should be going to the Principal's office…"

Tatsuki blinked, her furrowed brow relaxing the moment she turned to Orihime. "Oh, yah. You're actually going to go?"

"Well, yah," Orihime giggled, curbing her back forward and offering her best friend a goofy grin. "I don't want Ulquiorra to get into too much trouble so soon…"

Tatsuki sighed as she rolled her eyes. Ulquiorra glared down emotionlessly at the sheepish sitting redhead, obviously not caring in the least about getting in trouble with breakable human trash. _Of all the guys for her to fall in love with…_

* * *

"So…"

The principal looked from the willowy, pale, tear-streaked Ulquiorra Schiffer, to the bubbly, peach-skinned, weakly-smiling Inoue Orihime. "Schiffer, I trust that we will not have a repeat of this incident?"

Although he dealt with situations such as these every day, it was the first time that the offending student actually genuinely _scared_ him. Something about the Schiffer kid sent chills up the balding man's spine, and it probably had something to do with their orientation meeting the day before.

Ulquiorra glared just a little harder, his sharp eyes stabbing. Orihime looked nervous. "There will be as many repeats of this incident as I deem necessary."

The principal tried to swallow the lump in his throat, oppressed by a sudden, inexplicable smothering pressure in the room. He could have sworn the temperature had just dropped by at least five degrees Celsius.

The bell rang just then, signalling the end of the period, and Ulquiorra gracefully rose from his seat. Orihime was not far behind him, sending nervous looks at the principal over her shoulder.

The moment the two left the room, the strange pressure was gone, and the temperature immediately returned to normal. The man eagerly took in a gasp of air. From outside his office door, the principal heard a gentle chiding female voice.

"You really shouldn't do that…"


	12. Turning Point

* * *

In the empty sleeve of hall in the lonely world, empty eyes stared out onto falling rain. What was she still doing here? She was a shinigami. What place was there for her here? She should return to the place she belonged.

Eyes dim and shoulders slumped, the old soul allowed herself this moment of weakness. She knew she was worrying everyone, she knew she was worrying him, but she couldn't pretend. She knew that it was futile to fake a smile for him. He knew her too well. Rain softly pattered the window.

"I suppose that I should be thanking you."

Ripped from her melancholy, Rukia turned around to find Ulquiorra standing across from her, hands tucked casually in his pockets. Green reptilian eyes scrutinized the shinigami's every move. In turn, Rukia drew herself to full height, the misery deliberately wiped from her face.

"Where is Inoue," Rukia questioned, her voice not kind, but not threatening either.

"She is in the washroom," the arrancar responded. He could not have this conversation while Orihime was here. There were some things Ulquiorra just didn't want her to know. "The coast is clear."

"I did my best," Rukia said after a moment. "They don't want to trust you, but they'll realize soon enough that you mean no harm."

Ulquiorra held himself back from raising an eyebrow. He needed to calculate his reactions. "How can you be so certain that I mean no harm?"

Rukia smiled softly. "Because I'm just like you." _Madly in love._

Face a mask, Ulquiorra thought he understood. Just as he was attracted to Orihime, Kuchiki Rukia was attracted to Kurosaki Ichigo. The poor girl. "How unfortunate."

Rukia smiled just a little, her voice tinged with regret. She never lowered her eyes from Ulquiorra's. "Yah. Watching you and Inoue together, I'm jealous."

Ulquiorra almost pitied the poor shinigami. "As I said, unfortunate." The two fell into silence.

Pushing aside her feelings, Rukia returned to the situation at hand, speaking in a forceful commanding voice. "Ulquiorra, do you know why that Adjucas came to the Material world today?"

The arrancar's glare intensified, but Rukia didn't back down. "Yes."

The shinigami's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

Ulquiorra waited a long moment before answering, the air becoming heavier with each passing second. Finally he turned around, intent on heading back to where Orihime was surely already chatting with her girl friends. His voice was ice, hard and cold. "It is because you and your nakama failed to be thorough in your conquest. Las Noches has a new 'king'."

At that precise moment, down the flight of stairs, Ichigo's heart was pounding furiously, his worse nightmare confirmed.

* * *

All afternoon, there was a light drizzle. Orihime spent much of the day gazing forlornly out the classroom windows. For the first time, the grey turbulence of the sky was mirrored in her eyes. What was it that she had said about the rain?

After the everyday eternity of the school day had ended, the reunited friends loitered around outside the school gates, umbrellas of various colours in hand. As Ulquiorra had promised, none of Orihime's nakama had been harmed in the fight against the Adjucas, and Orihime was glad.

Her friends, on the other hand, where significantly more stressed. Rukia was still conflicted and depressed over her unrequited love for Ichigo, and her gloomy silence made her unapproachable. Ichigo was still inexplicably enraged over Rukia's unrequited love for Ulquiorra, and was particularly irritable. Uryuu and Tatsuki were still severely anxious over not being able to watch over Orihime once she returned home. Therefore, the extent of the conversation was Tatsuki and Uryuu pleading to be able to accompany Orihime home (and, in Tatsuki's case, stay the night), and Orihime reassuring them that she and Ulquiorra would be fine on their own.

Throughout all this, Yasutora had to hold himself back from shaking his head; so many problems that could be so easily solved through communication. The burly man blissfully ignored the tiny voice in his head that shouted 'that's the pot calling the kettle black.'

After a few minutes of circular argument, Ulquiorra finally approached the group, looming heavily behind Orihime. His presence immediately earning him attention, the arrancar glared at everyone in the loose circle as he ran his fingers through Orihime's hair, leaning in to take in the delicious scent. Ulquiorra's eyes landed on Uryuu, who raised his chin just slightly at the challenge. "Do not follow us. We will be busy."

"Ulquiorra!" Orihime blushed furiously, although she made no move to remove him. The willowy teenager's eyes turned to hers, and she saw a devious glint she did not like at all. Without another word, Ulquiorra took her hand in his and dragged her off down the street to their home, and undoubtedly to certain doom.

* * *

Ulquiorra and Orihime made their way home in silence. Ulquiorra held his schoolbag in one hand and the bright yellow plastic umbrella in the other, his eyes roving over Orihime's still features. Was it out of the ordinary for her to be so quiet?

The pair had just turned the first corner, barely out of sight from Karakura High, when a familiar voice called out to them from the alleyway up ahead. "Such a beautiful day for a stroll…"

Urahara Kisuke, sporting his suspiciously cheerful face, emerged from the shadows of the alley, twirling a standard black umbrella casually. Orihime's face lit up in a smile immediately, while Ulquiorra furrowed his brow. "Urahara-san!"

"Good day, Inoue-san," Kisuke greeted pleasantly, bringing his free hand to his hat as he bowed to the lady. His sharp eyes, shaded beneath his favourite hat, then drifted to meet Ulquiorra's, as his voice carried a tone just a little more serious. "And good day to you, Ulquiorra-san."

"Thank you so much for everything, Urahara-san," Orihime ventured, just a little shy. "If it wasn't for you, Ulquiorra could have been in serious trouble!"

Urahara didn't reply for a moment, his shaded eyes glowing with remorse. The former Captain allowed the smile to slip from his face. Orihime could only look up at him in confusion, her expression growing more and more concerned as spans of charged silence slipped by. Finally, slowly, the shop keeper reached up to remove his hat, holding it against his torso respectfully. The man bowed.

He spoke, his slow, deliberate tone as repentant as his tumultuous eyes. "Inoue-san, I am truly sorry for what I have put you through. I suspected all along that Aizen would take interest in your abilities. For that reason, I tried to protect you by removing you from the conflict. Not only was this was tremendously inconsiderate of me, but it did not protect you." The shop keeper paused. "I completely failed to protect you. I am deeply sorry, Inoue-san." Silence fell heavy, as Orihime composed herself. Ulquiorra was a grim statue of white stone.

"That's okay," Orihime chirped suddenly, offering her brightest smile to the still-prostrated man. Surprised, Urahara's eyes darted up, his face looking very open and vulnerable without his trademark sunhat. Orihime's eyes burned with sympathy, her voice velvety, kind. "I think that, overall, it was a good experience! I learnt a lot about who I am and what things mean to me. And if I hadn't been kidnapped, I never would have forged a connection with Ulquiorra." Urahara could do nothing but accept the disarming sincerity, his exposed eyes shifting from Orihime to Ulquiorra, then back to Orihime.

After a few moments of silence, Urahara brought his green and white striped hat back to rest on his head, once again obscuring his face. "Thank you, Inoue-san." His eyes pierced through to Orihime's with fervour. "I promise that I will make this up to you."

* * *

"Umm… Ulquiorra…" Orihime began tentatively. She fought the part of her that told her to keep quiet and pretend as if nothing was wrong. Ulquiorra's venomous green eyes met hers.

The two were on their way home after Ulquiorra's first (real) day of school, and Orihime had been strangely quiet. This had worried the arrancar because Orihime had been supplying a steady flow of conversation throughout the entire day. She had had no qualms filling in his silences and actually seemed to relish in the undivided attention that he gave her. The former Espada had readily participated in the dialogue, and Ulquiorra would often even bring up another topic of discussion, counting on Orihime's talkativeness to take them from there.

Which was why Ulquiorra didn't really know what to do when Orihime suddenly fell silent. It was a long walk back to their home, and for once the arrancar didn't appreciate the extensive stretch of quiet. He could only think that it meant that something was wrong.

Under the questioning stare of her beautiful yet intimidating roommate, Orihime raised her voice again, fighting the urge to drop the subject. "Your cheek is swollen…"

Ulquiorra diverted his eyes forward. Inwardly, he cursed his vulnerable human shell. The arrancar's voice came out indifferent. "That is correct." Orihime dropped her gaze, hanging her head in shame.

"I'm sorry, Ulquiorra… Tatsuki did that to you, didn't she?" The girl's voice resounded with guilt. She shouldn't have thrown him to the wolves like that, she should have stayed with him, protected him...

Orihime felt Ulquiorra's hand grip hers, his bony white fingers intertwining with hers. "That is correct. But you should not regret it."

"Why not?" Orihime tugged on their interlaced fingers, causing Ulquiorra to look back at her with surprised eyes. "You didn't deserve to be hit! You didn't do anything wrong!"

Ulquiorra glared emptily, his eyes speaking as effectively as any words. "Ok, so you kidnapped me, but that was because you were ordered to! It wasn't _your_ fault, it was Aizen's!"

Ulquiorra's empty glare altered slightly. "I mean, yah, you said some mean things, but that's all in the past! I mean, no blood no fowl, right?"

Once again, something imperceptible in Ulquiorra's eyes shifted. "Well, there was Kurosaki-kun, but it's not like you killed him, right? Your mercy redeemed you!"

Finally Ulquiorra spoke. "Do you think that I can do no wrong, or are you just an impossibly optimistic person?"

Orihime's beaming smile was blinding, her chin raised high and her eyes playful. "A little bit of both!" Ulquiorra cocked an eyebrow, but said nothing.

Moments later, the two arrived at their small, second story apartment. Once again using the key left beneath the doormat, Orihime opened the front door, and in an extravagant motion welcomed Ulquiorra to his new home.

The second Orihime stepped through the threshold though, her smile dropped from her face. Her once-vibrant living room looked… _barren_, _lifeless_.

"Ew," Orihime stated cutely, her face crunched up in a disgusted expression as she tried to move the couch back to its rightful place. As the redhead struggled comically to get the heavy couch to move, Ulquiorra took the chance to wrap one arm around Orihime's waist, pulling the startled girl up against him from behind.

"U-Ulquiorra!" The arrancar's grip tightened, and in one swift motion he lifted the girl's feet completely off the ground. The next second, Ulquiorra was reclining casually on the couch, with Orihime seated awkwardly on his lap, the man's arm still holding her firmly in place.

"Do you not remember our agreement?" When Orihime gaped, babbling incoherently, Ulquiorra produced a piece of perfectly-folded paper from his pocket, handing it over to Orihime.

"O-Oh, yah… I remember…" Orihime stumbled, her voice shaking. With trembling hands, she took the sheet and tried to concentrate hard enough to read it. "But could you please let go of me…" His eyes mocking, Ulquiorra promptly buried his face in Orihime's fiery tresses, bathing in the warmth of her body, the scent of her hair. The hand that wasn't holding the redhead in place (albeit with soothing, exploratory strokes) made its way to her knee, working its way upwards, testing the girl's boundaries. At the same time, Ulquiorra brought his chest flush up against Orihime's stiff back, his nose and lips tickling and teasing Orihime's rose-tinged neck and jaw.

"U-Ulquiorra… you can't…" Orihime stumbled, the meaning of the kanji she was staring at eluding her completely. The arrancar snaked the arm around her waist beneath her shirt, stroking her flat stomach and running his fingers along the edges of her skirt and bra teasingly.

"Yes, I can," Ulquiorra contradicted, his voice low in her ear, the warm breath against Orihime's skin triggering a sudden shudder. "I am not breaking any rules. We are not in the wrong." Ulquiorra tried to calm the girl down; her breaths were coming in shallow gasps as her body simultaneously tried to push itself closer to his chest behind her and to his roaming hand in front of her.

"Wh-What do you want, Ulquiorra," Orihime managed to get out, a fire burning uncontrollably beneath her skin. This wasn't how it was supposed to be…

The tear-streaked teenager considered the statement a moment, both his hands edging closer to the forbidden territory that was calling to him like a siren's song. "I want to feel every inch of my skin against every inch of yours."

Just as he said this, deep voice seductive, he carefully brought a finger under her bra. Slowly, millimetre by millimetre, his tentative finger advanced through the path of her cleavage, but could go no further because of Orihime's spectacularly enormous breasts. And so, Ulquiorra began to work a path around them, slowly circling the redhead's right breast.

Just then, a loud, annoying blare that resembled the wail of a spoiled child rang through the flat. Ulquiorra remembered what that was; Orihime had explained to him everything he would ever need to know about phones when he had innocently asked her during a break why so many students were talking to themselves.

Frustrated at being interrupted, Ulquiorra gently moved Orihime off his lap and onto the couch, where she just sprawled out, staring at him with wide, wild eyes. A few long strides, and Ulquiorra had swiftly picked up the receiver, remembering to act natural. It was probably one of Orihime's friends calling, and he knew that if he acted at all suspicious, they'd all be over in an instant and there would be no rid of them.

"Hello." Perfect monotone, as usual.

"Ulquiorra? Where's Orihime," Tatsuki demanded, obviously on edge over being so far away.

Ulquiorra looked over his shoulder at the heavy-breathing, very horny, teenage girl, and wisely judged that he shouldn't let her take the phone. "Orihime is in the bathroom at the moment. Why?"

"I want to make sure she's alright, do ya got a problem with that?"

"No, not at all. I will ask her to call you back when she is finished," Ulquiorra replied, eager to end the conversation.

The girl on the other side of the line paused. "Alright, but I swear if anything happens to Orihime I _will_ make you pay."

"I will keep that in mind. Goodbye." Internally, Ulquiorra sighed. He hated being civil with trash. It was the only way, though, and as Ulquiorra once again turned towards the couch, he was very sure that his efforts would be rewarded.

Unfortunately for Ulquiorra, however, Orihime had, ironically, disappeared into the bathroom. From beyond the door, he could hear faint panting and the running of the tap. Ulquiorra said the only thing that came to mind. "Are you feeling well?" Immediately, the bathroom door swung open, revealing a very shaky-looking Orihime.

"How can I be feeling well when you keep doing these things to me?" Orihime's eyes were just a little crazed as she eyed Ulquiorra accusingly. As soon as the words left her lips, Ulquiorra's eyes furrowed in concern.

"Did I hurt you," the arrancar questioned in genuine worry. Before he could panic too much, however, Orihime let out her frustration in a sigh.

"You're not hurting my _outside_, you're hurting my _inside_." Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow, obviously wondering what that was supposed to mean. Orihime sighed again and walked over to the couch, calming herself, with Ulquiorra on her heels. They sat down next to each other. "Ulquiorra, have you ever found yourself wanting to do something that you knew was just _wrong_?"

"Yes," Ulquiorra replied, aloof. "I wanted you."

Orihime mustered a smile through her blush, a smile which turned dim as she started speaking. "Than don't you find that… you're only making things harder for yourself by coming closer to what you desire?" Sadly, the redhead remembered her last night on Earth before departing to Hueco Mundo. "That it only makes it hurt that much more when you don't get it, but no matter what you do, you can't give in, because you know that if you do there's no way that you could live with yourself?"

"Yes," Ulquiorra agreed. Orihime raised a brow, her heart weighing poignantly in her chest.

"Than why do you keep doing this," she asked, authentically intrigued, desperate for an answer.

Ulquiorra diverted his eyes, turning his head to the side in thought. Eventually, their eyes met again. "I continue because I would suffer through anything to hold you in my arms."

Something in Orihime's mind blanched. Before she knew it, she had thrown her arms around Ulquiorra, gripping onto his sturdy being. The arrancar, afraid of the unexpected reaction his words stirred, looked down at the crown of orange hair below him, unsure of what to do. A moment later, when Orihime's vice-like grip on his shirt loosened slightly, Ulquiorra brought his pallid hands to Orihime's thin shoulders and gently peeled her from his chest.

Ulquiorra was afraid, and intrigued, by what he saw. Orihime's brilliant grey eyes were alight with sparkles. The girl spoke, her voice tinged with rueful awe, a quiet laugh on her lips. "Ulquiorra, you're just like the prince from a fairy tale. And you're also like the dragon." Sighing, Orihime pushed against the confused Ulquiorra's chest, lying him down beneath her. Before he could say anything, the redhead lied down on top of him, her head resting against his chest as her eyes dimmed and stared off into space. "You've got me from both sides, and I'm not strong enough to fight my way out of it."

Unsure what Orihime meant by any of this 'fairy tale' analogy, Ulquiorra could think of only one thing to say. "You are much stronger than you give yourself credit for."

Orihime smiled into Ulquiorra's chest, the sound of rain pelting the window a lullaby. "I don't think so. I'm finding this much too easy to get used to." Ulquiorra remained alone in his bafflement as Orihime wrapped her arms tightly around Ulquiorra's neck, snuggling her nose into his pale throat.

"Orihime," Ulquiorra intoned, as he returned Orihime's embrace. He sensed something was off about her, something that was concealed beneath the surface of her words and actions. "What is going on?"

Orihime waited a long time before answering, and Ulquiorra thought she might have fallen asleep. "I'm trying not to give up, I'm trying to resist, but I feel like for every step back, there's two steps closer. And there's nothing I can do about it."

"I do not understand, Orihime."

"That's the thing. You _can't_ understand, because it doesn't make sense. This isn't how it was supposed to be, but everything is working against me. I find myself looking for green leaves in seas of orange," Orihime murmured, almost mournfully. Something inside her was breaking.

At this point, Ulquiorra was too confused by Orihime's words to formulate a response. He only held Orihime tighter against his slender body, hoping to provide some level of reassurance. The light filtering through the blinds was a heavy shade of grey-blue, drawing both to the edge of unconsciousness.

"And the worse thing is, Ulquiorra," Orihime added slowly, the rain consuming her senses. "This is what I've always wanted, all along. To reach someone who was far away… But it's so different then how I imagined it…"

Seconds, hours later, Orihime's eyes fluttered open. She saw Ulquiorra's face, unguarded and relaxed in light sleep. His ashen cheek was resting against her forehead, his black lips agape as if to kiss her brow.

He was beautiful. In all the ways Orihime had never expected, he was beautiful. Nothing else mattered in that moment. She felt so warm in his arms. Something felt right to her. For a second, in her sleep-filled eyes, she saw only him.

A brushing of flesh against his lips stirred Ulquiorra from sleep. He felt Orihime draw even closer to him.

"You know, it's actually really cosy here," Orihime said in a pensive tone. Ulquiorra hummed in agreement, stroking her back affectionately. Both knew that it would probably be best to awaken, to separate, but both were reluctant to move.

"Ulquiorra," Orihime began, her voice wispy. She heard a hum from Ulquiorra's throat beckoning her to continue. "It doesn't _feel_ like we're doing anything wrong, right?" She heard another deep hum. A few moments later, the girl's eyes fluttered open again.

"And, I mean, it's not like we're total strangers… We've been through a lot together," Orihime murmured into his chest. There was a moment of silence, both teenagers drifting in and out of awareness.

"It's a strange bond, so it only makes sense that we have a strange relationship, right?" Ulquiorra rumbled his agreement, even though nothing Orihime was saying was registering in his mind.

"So… in that context, it isn't weird that we do things like cuddle, right?" Orihime sighed, the hot breath warming Ulquiorra's neck. In response, he held her even closer, both his arms encircling her as if she would float away if he didn't. Orihime let out another contented sigh.

"No, it definitely isn't weird."

Satisfied by the ingenious, although transient, conservation of her sanity, Orihime fell into a very light sleep. She was suspended on the bridge between wakefulness and the abyss, surrounded by everything she never knew she would want.

* * *

Until the phone rang. Startled from sleep, Ulquiorra let out a quiet groan as Orihime slowly stumbled to her feet, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "…Hello?"

"Orihime! Why didn't you call back," Tatsuki asked, relieved.

"Oh, Tatsuki-chan! I'm sorry, Ulquiorra told me you had called, but I accidentally fell asleep on the couch." Suddenly intent, Orihime walked across the room to where she had left the portable phone. Once the other phone was hung up, the redhead made her way to her room, lying tiredly on her narrow bed.

Tatsuki paused, suspicious. "Where is Ulquiorra?"

"He's still on the couch," Orihime said dismissively, as if the fact was unimportant. "You'll never believe what he said, though! He was all serious and stuff, with that agonized look in his eye, and he said 'I would suffer through anything to hold you in my arms.'! Isn't that sweet," Orihime gushed, overcoming her tiredness, totally forgetting that she shouldn't be so happy over someone who _wasn't_ her crush telling her this.

Tatsuki paused again, trying to form the question delicately. "Orihime, you know you're a knock-out… Have you considered that Ulquiorra might just be trying to… well, sleep with you?" This time it was Orihime who stayed silent. She clutched the phone like it was her lifeline, pressing it into the shell of her ear.

"Well, there's that… But, there's a lot that I need to tell you, Tatsuki-chan, things I couldn't say in front of the others." Orihime's voice became nothing more than a murmur as she felt the significance of her next words weighing on her. "It has to do with my feelings for Kurosaki-kun… and for Ulquiorra…"

Tatsuki sighed. So Orihime was less dense than the others thought she was. She was already beginning to question her feelings for Ichigo. "Alright, do you want me to come over?"

"No thanks," Orihime beamed, as Ulquiorra stalked lethargically into the bedroom. "Ulquiorra's stressed enough having to be around everybody at school, so it doesn't seem fair to make him stand his guard at home, too." Looking over, the redhead stared, mesmerized, as Ulquiorra removed his humidity-damp shirt.

All while staring at Orihime hungrily, the arrancar prowled over to the bed, where he tried to forcibly take off her shirt. Struggling to keep her massive breasts concealed beneath the thin grey fabric, Orihime quickly ended the conversation.

"I've actually got to go, Tatsuki-chan. I'll see you tomorrow!" Ulquiorra rolled his hips against Orihime's, and she managed to cut the line just before she was overcome by a deep gasp. No one had ever touched her like that before.

"Ulquiorra, stop," Orihime screwed her eyes shut, telling herself that this was all just another erotic dream. After all, she _had_ had many dreams like this before already. Only, all the erotic dreams she had had before were mechanical, cold, compared to what Orihime was experiencing now.

"Everything is alright, Orihime," Ulquiorra murmured, as he pulled the dark comforter over their bodies, hiding his weakness. "I just want to hold you." Orihime, her resolve crumbling, allowed Ulquiorra to force her shirt off. He lied down on top of her, and the feeling of her skin against his was magical. Orihime sighed and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

* * *

"Three."

She held her breath in the darkness, praying to the Almighty that the threat would pass her by.

"Two."

The voice sounded again, shaking the hard-earned sense of readiness she had been trying to build up.

"One."

She felt the danger approaching, encroaching upon her, as she held back the urge to run for her life.

Barely audible footfalls drew closer and closer to her location, and a cold sweat broke out on her brow. A full three seconds later, the closet door opened, and glowing emerald eyes glared at her. Like a deer caught in the headlights, Orihime could only helplessly look on in horror as her opponent intoned those dreaded words. "You're it."

Orihime held back the agonized moan of defeat. This time, she had stowed away in her best hiding place, the out-of-the-way closet that held her washer and dryer. Ulquiorra should never have been able to find her so quickly. She, in contrast, had taken at least a minute or two each time to find the hidden arrancar in her small apartment.

Unmoving, Ulquiorra stared down at the girl that was sitting in the foetal position upon the washing machine. Watching her agonize dramatically over her continuing defeat made him feel the need to point out the ridiculousness of all this. "Orihime, I fail to see the point in this 'hide-and-go-seek in the dark' game. If I could detect your presence immediately from anywhere in Las Noches, why shouldn't I be able to find you in your three-room apartment?"

Orihime's eyes widened impossibly as she pointed to Ulquiorra accusingly, visibly shell-shocked. "You _cheated_?!"

"Cheated? I was merely using all of the tools at my disposal," Ulquiorra countered impassively, feeling rather foolish talking into the darkness of a closet. His weak human eyes could barely even make out the glistening of Orihime's offended grey eyes.

"That's cheating! Of course I'd be able to find you right away if I sensed your reiatsu," Orihime exclaimed in indignation. "You're supposed to seek _me_ out, not my reiatsu!" Ulquiorra continued to glare, marvelling silently at how an intelligent girl could be so stupid.

"Enough of this," Ulquiorra stated finally. "It is late and you must sleep." The arrancar felt warm arms encircle his neck, as Orihime used his body to help her get her feet to the ground in the dark. Ulquiorra carefully brought his hands to her round hips, helping the redhead down. Electro-magnetism at work.

"Is it really that late," Orihime asked, straining her eyes in the dark. She broke away from Ulquiorra and, reaching her hands out in the dark, tried to move towards the bedroom without tripping on something.

"It's past ten o'clock. We have been playing this game for the better part of an hour," Ulquiorra responded as if she owed him something for the trouble. Honestly, however, the arrancar greatly enjoyed this game. It seemed that, while playing this particular game, the groping of forbidden areas was forgiven because it was 'accidental.' Of course, Ulquiorra had boldly and tactfully taken advantage, causing his mouth to grow dry, his body to grow hot, and a certain member of his anatomy to jerk to life yet again. Although the feeling was confusing, Ulquiorra decided that he didn't dislike it.

Together, Orihime and Ulquiorra brushed their teeth. It was a very odd feeling for Orihime, because she hadn't lived with anyone for such a long time. To have a permanent, solid rock that would stay by her side was more than she had ever hoped of having again. Suddenly, her long-time apartment felt more like a home.

As Orihime got under the navy-blue bedcovers, she thought about what it would mean to have Ulquiorra in her life. Earlier that day, the two had done extensive planning on the redecoration of their home. Although her friends had all trivialized it when she had told them, Orihime was dead set on her plan. She was going to use Sora's substantial life insurance to pay for the renovation, knowing that he would be happy to know that she had found someone that she could depend upon. Idly, the redhead wondered what her brother would think of Ulquiorra. Orihime watched with a tired smile as he neatly folded their cloths for tomorrow, so that not a single wrinkle would set in.

There was something essentially pleasant about living with someone else. Even more than having someone to talk to and stave away the loneliness, Orihime enjoyed how they could do anything together. They argued a lot, but were also quick to put disagreements behind them. It didn't feel uncomfortable while they both silently did homework, Ulquiorra memorizing textbooks at blinding speed. They cooked together, cleaned together, and Ulquiorra, despite his cold, incredulous stares, never failed to bend to her will and play with her whatever game she wanted to play. Orihime refused to acknowledge the part of her that told her that, while children's games were fun, it was much more fun to play adult games with Ulquiorra.

Ulquiorra, clothed only in his white boxers, closed the light. Orihime held her breath as she felt the unfamiliar dip of the bed and the slender, muscular arm snaking around her midsection. She heard Ulquiorra's deep exhale as he relaxed beside her. Even though his eyes were closed, obviously intent on sleeping, Orihime continued to gaze at his beautiful, delicate face in the darkness.

"Ulquiorra," Orihime murmured softly as she brought up a tentative palm to cup his snow-white cheek. She felt the slender man's chest rumble in response. "You'll… never leave me, will you?" Orihime let the words slide out, not bothering to question what she meant by them, not bothering to understand the words beyond their immediate, literal meaning.

Ulquiorra opened his eyes and somehow a familiar scene played out before him. That familiar scene from the movie they had watched together… He brought his lips gently to Orihime's, hoping to convey the significance of this action. He gave no thought to the possibility of expulsion, and eagerly breathed in Orihime's sweet gasp of surprise.

When Ulquiorra pulled back a moment later, Orihime was staring at him, looking like she felt threatened. The arrancar explained. "You are the only one that can reach beyond my mask. I will never leave your side." Ulquiorra felt tears against his neck as Orihime nestled against him, her arms wrapped around his chest gratefully. In return, he held her tightly, making it very clear that, if he had his way, he would do nothing but hold her for all eternity.

* * *

About forty-five minutes later, Ulquiorra was brought to fuller conscious by a passing car that was playing particularly loud and distasteful music. Still half asleep, the arrancar turned to the redhead in his arms, his eyes absently examining her every feature. She was delicate in her sleep, breathing deeply and rhythmically in and out, as her chest rose and fell. Her brow relaxed and her silk hair in beautiful disarray, Ulquiorra traced with his fingers the shell of her ear, her small nose, her full lips, her delicate eyebrows.

Having memorized every line and texture of her face, Ulquiorra's hand moved downwards, fully exploring the warm thin throat. He ran his fingers absently across Orihime's collar bones, and the delicate hollow above them. Satisfied, the pale hand moved lower, fingers going up the teardrop of the girl's large breast, then back down. Surprised at the feel of it, Ulquiorra took grasp of the bubbly mass, squeezing and massaging curiously.

The arrancar was pleasantly surprised when Orihime let out a small moan as she wriggled in her sleep beneath him. Encouraged that she seemed to be enjoying this also, or, at least, not waking up in a fury and throwing him out on his ass, Ulquiorra kneaded the soft flesh harder. He noted in confusion that his own heart rate had sped up along with Orihime's.

Suddenly, Ulquiorra felt something strange from within the thin fabric of Orihime's night shirt. There seemed to be a small ball of flesh protruding from her breast. Curiously bringing the ball between his fingers and applying pressure, Ulquiorra was rewarded with another moan, louder than the last. His curiosity tripling, the pale man lifted Orihime's shirt to reveal the full, bra-less glory of her breasts. Sleep long forgotten, Ulquiorra continued to play with the weird pieces of flesh on Orihime's breasts as he searched his brain for some sort of explanation as to what these pleasant little things were.

Deciding it wasn't important, Ulquiorra was eager to find out what other mysteries Orihime's body held. The arrancar ran his long, skeletal fingers along Orihime's abdomen, exploring and playing with every square centimetre of the masterpiece that was Orihime's body. He mapped out how she reacted to every touch.

Ulquiorra hesitated when he reached her panty-line. It was a slippery slope from here; if he wasn't able to control his carnal instincts, he could end up enforcing his superiority upon Orihime. He had seen enough of Orihime to know that she would not survive the humiliation and shame of being the dominated. And even if she did, Ulquiorra would never want her to be like Grimmjow's posse: subservient, with the desperate will to follow orders ingrained in the psyche.

Still, Ulquiorra pushed forward, sliding down the loose-fitting pants, and revealing a glory that Ulquiorra could only marvel at. He had never seen a female's womanhood before. Lifting Orihime's leg to get a better look, Ulquiorra traced the lips and the mound carefully before bringing his finger down in through the wet folds.

Thoroughly enchanted, by the heat, by the smell, by the feel, Ulquiorra eagerly explored ever line of flesh, when suddenly he felt Orihime move beneath him. Her hips rose against his hand, begging for his attention, and out of fear Ulquiorra pulled back. He paused a long moment, as Orihime whined in her sleep at the loss of contact.

_This isn't safe,_ Ulquiorra thought. _I cannot endanger her like this._ Facing the reality of his straining hard cock, Ulquiorra rose from the bed and exited the room, intent on clearing his head.

Her whines becoming more frustrated, dream-Orihime wondered why Ulquiorra had stopped touching her. She had felt him leave the bed, and had waited in anticipation for a long time now. Trying to cheer herself up, dream-Orihime decided he must have gone out to get whipped cream, or something.

Whipped cream, Orihime realized. Whipped cream. With Ulquiorra. Who had been touching her.

Her arrancar roommate. Who would henceforth be sharing a bed with her. Uh oh.

Bolting upright in her bed, Orihime tried to get a hold of herself. Her shirt was up over her chest, her pants were pooled around one ankle, and Ulquiorra was nowhere to be seen. Orihime dove back onto her bed, wrapped herself in her covers, and frantically pulled her cloths back on. She held back the urge to hit herself over the head with something.

After a few minutes of obsessive self-scolding, Orihime was surprised that Ulquiorra hadn't returned yet. Was he hiding from her? The question intrigued Orihime, as the realization dawned that he _should_ be hiding from her, because in less than twelve hours, he had already broken their agreement. Several times, in fact. Orihime realized that she was supposed to be very angry.

Gathering all the anger she could muster in her current exhausted, horny state, Orihime found Ulquiorra's reiatsu in the bathroom. As she approached the door quietly, ready to explode on him, Orihime found that the door was left ajar, a column of light against the darkness of the apartment. Suddenly, a moan broke through from beyond the threshold. A heated moan that sounded too much like "Orihime."

The redhead, intrigued despite the ball of dread in her gut, crept over to the door as silently as she could. Bracing herself against the sudden intake of light in her eyes, Orihime blinked until a picture of the inside of the bathroom formed before her. She was shocked by what she saw.

Ulquiorra was sitting on the tiled floor, his back against the side of the bathtub as he leant his head back in pleasure. One of his pale hands was wrapped tightly around his fully erect penis, and the other was clenching the wall of the bathtub as if his life depended on it. Another heated moan erupted from Ulquiorra's throat as he moaned Orihime's name.

As for Orihime, she could do nothing but watch. She knew that she should be repulsed, disgusted that Ulquiorra was on her bathroom floor, jacking off while thinking indecent thoughts about her, but she just couldn't muster it. She hated to admit it, but there was something so entrancingly stunning about him at that moment. His face was contorted in pleasure, his body was slick with sweat and his breath heaved his chest up and down heavily. He was unlike Orihime had ever seen him, not a trace of his usual cold and composed allure. Ulquiorra had never looked more alive to her than at that moment.

Unable to budge, Orihime watched as Ulquiorra stroked himself as he chanted her name. His movements grew more and more frantic until finally he came, shooting out cum even whiter than his skin all over the place. He was on cloud nine at that moment, the blissful euphoria on his face as if he had found Nirvana. A moment later, when he came down, he looked around him and was confused to find white substance all over the place. Ulquiorra reached for a towel, and Orihime took it as her cue to make a run for it.

Managing to get to her bed without making too much noise, her heart racing wildly, Orihime tried to calm herself down and pretend as if she were asleep. Ulquiorra _could not_ know that she had just witnessed that, and it was worth letting him get away with touching her to keep the whole thing a secret. Orihime's mind reeled as she tried to process what she had just seen, what she had just experienced.

Orihime quickly pulled down her pants and lifted up her shirt, careful to bring everything back to the state they were in when Ulquiorra had left. Then, the redhead forced herself to sleep, trying not to be affected by the slow, deliberate steps of Ulquiorra as he walked back into the room.

As if nothing had happened, he got under the covers and wrapped his arms possessively around Orihime, snuggling into the warmth of her breasts. A moment later, he was asleep, leaving Orihime to wonder just what she had gotten herself into.


	13. Convergence

* * *

Orihime awoke early the next morning in a jolt. The previous night flooded back to her vividly, shocking and unwanted images searing her memory.

Orihime lay in her bed, completely naked. At some point in the night, her nightshirt had been removed, and was shoved into the space between the mattress and the headboard. Her adorable teddy bear-patterned pants were nowhere in sight.

As for Ulquiorra, he was fast asleep. His head of inky black hair was buried in Orihime's voluptuous breasts, and his snow-white muscular arms were wrapped possessively around Orihime's midsection, trapping her firmly in place.

Her heart thumped frantically in her ears, pumping blood directly to her reddened face. She couldn't even form words for how she was feeling. The conflicting feelings rising in her chest brutally clashed. Should she feel happiness or anger at awaking in his arms? Was there something satisfying about being intimate with him, or something terrifying?

Orihime just didn't know. She didn't know where she was, how she got there, or how she felt about it. _There's no way,_ Orihime decided, _it must have been a dream. There's no way that I would…_

Carefully, Orihime extracted herself from Ulquiorra's grip, trying in vain to ignore how soft his skin felt against hers. Once she was free, stumbling awkwardly off the bed, the redhead made quick work of finding and putting her pyjamas back on, and then darted from the bedroom without a look back.

Orihime had never felt like this before. Ulquiorra was systematically trespassing on all of her boundaries, and was gaining ground with each push forward. And the crazy thing was, she was letting him. Inoue Orihime, the teenage girl who survived Las Noches and the Great Winter War, whose strength and compassion had softened the heart of the stoic Cuatro Espada, was now choosing this particular time to give in and do what felt easy.

No. This wasn't right. They couldn't be doing this. Not now, not ever. She knew where her loyalties should lie. She knew just how much she stood to lose. If she let herself do this, she wouldn't just lose Ichigo. What would her nakama do if they knew about her and Ulquiorra? And Orihime was certainly not idealistic enough to believe that Soul Society would stand by on the sidelines…

But she wanted to protect him, didn't she? What choice did she have? She had fallen for him again, those entrancing emerald green eyes, that deep melodious voice. He drew her deeper and deeper into a beautiful, unfamiliar, dangerous world. A world of scintillating meadows and indigo anemones. A world bursting with life, and yet empty of everything but he and her. A terrifying world where she stood on unsteady ground, suspended with him somewhere between love, hatred and lust. And she loved every instant of it.

But unfamiliar was bad. She didn't have to guess with Ichigo. He was very clearly the good guy, no one doubted it. No one would think she was strange if she ended up with Ichigo, it would be perfectly understandable. Ulquiorra was, on the other hand, shadowy, amorphous. He walked the fine line between hero and villain, enemy and lover. She knew that the closer she got to him, the deeper she sunk into those reptilian eyes, the further she would fall into his ambiguous world.

Again and again she slipped into that place with him, their own isolated little bubble, where the outside world didn't seem to matter all that much. It was so easy to live with him in the moment, to forget outside rules and expectations. It was just too easy to be with him, for a moment to exist only as the light at his side.

Orihime loved Ichigo. She had already decided that she loved Ichigo, Ichigo and only Ichigo. She couldn't betray him like this. It wasn't too late. Her feelings could still be suppressed. Her loyalty to her friends and to the ways of her world came first.

Last night never happened. They had never touched, never caressed, never seen eternity in each others eyes. They had never wanted each other. The sleep-fogged memories were dreams. It was the only way. Orihime loved Ichigo.

Orihime stepped outside into the brisk fresh air of the autumn morning. The bright yellow sun tainted the clouds a light pink. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, as if the sunrise washed away all of her sins.

* * *

When Orihime felt calm enough to go back inside, she found Ulquiorra, still clad only in his underwear, reheating some leftovers. He turned slowly to face her with curiosity in his large emerald eyes. The air was still and quiet.

"Good morning, Orihime." The tension was tangible. Orihime smiled a big smile.

"Good morning, Ulquiorra!" The redhead skipped by him, heart-shaped face glowing with a phony joy. She made a show of opening the fridge and searching through it for something to eat.

"Here," Ulquiorra intoned, handing a plate of heated cucumber-sesame-hot sauce onigiri. Orihime took the plate, eyes wide. "You were outside for a while. Any longer and your food would have become cold."

"Oh, thank you, Ulquiorra," Orihime exclaimed, facial expressions exaggerated. She innocently looked up at Ulquiorra's scrutinizing blank eyes. "Did you sleep well last night?"

Ulquiorra took his own meal out of the microwave and followed Orihime to the table. He sat next to her. "I slept quite comfortably." He watched as Orihime busily began consuming her breakfast, devoting her complete attention to the task. "And you?"

Orihime stopped cold for just a second, before diving back into her food with renewed vigour. "I slept well," she commented nonchalantly.

As Ulquiorra ate, he contemplated his situation. He was absolutely sure that Orihime had been awake last night. Her odd behaviour left no room for doubt. The good news was that Orihime wasn't kicking him out. The bad news was that she was closing herself off with small talk and fake smiles. And that got Ulquiorra very angry. Where was the dynamic and infuriating willpower that he had grown to adore so much?

Ulquiorra watched Orihime finish her breakfast, the morning sunlight revealing glowing tinsels of gold in her deep orange hair. Silently, the alabaster-skinned man placed a skeletal hand on Orihime's knee. Beneath the wood of the table, slow and steady, the hand slid its way up the redhead's thigh. Above, both people pretended to be unaware. Orihime's face reddened beautifully and she bit her lip.

* * *

Tatsuki knew that today wasn't going to be a good day when she saw Orihime skip away from Ulquiorra's grabby hands. Orihime tried to be inconspicuous about putting distance between herself and Ulquiorra, while Ulquiorra tried very directly to wrap his arm around Orihime's waist. It was like they were playing a game of tag.

Catching sight of Tatsuki, Orihime's eyes grew large with hope, and she waved a quick farewell to Ulquiorra. She ran as if her life depended on it to the safety of where Tatsuki and her girl friends sat. Smiling, Orihime huffed a friendly 'Hello!', as her friends quirked a collective eyebrow.

"Trouble in paradise, already," Mahana questioned, laid back, supported by one arm behind her. Orihime took a seat, still smiling broadly.

"I never read that book," Orihime replied, her face revealing abashment. "I know I borrowed it from you, but I was just so busy that week…"

"That isn't what she means, Orihime," Tatsuki interjected, voice gentle but eyes serious. Something was funny here. "And you know it." Orihime's startled look morphed into fake confusion.

"S-Speaking of which," the redhead tried again, "did any of you guys do the English homework? I didn't understand anything…" Silence fell, and Orihime squirmed in discomfort. She felt every pair of eyes drill into her in puzzlement and concern.

Tatsuki spoke first, careful, and direct. "Orihime, did Ulquiorra do something to you?" Grey eyes widened.

"Why would you think that," Orihime questioned with a laugh, as she scratched the back of her head. "Ulquiorra's been the perfect gentleman!"

The friends all shared glances. They knew that tone. "Orihime," Tatsuki tried again, and it took everything in her for her to remain calm, "did Ulquiorra touch you?"

"Of course he didn't," the redhead replied, as if the notion were ridiculous. "What interest would he have in me? I was just his prisoner. His job, really. And he had a terrible job." To emphasize her point, Orihime crossed her arms and offered a firm nod. "Yes. That is right."

The group of girls stared, none really knowing how to begin to respond to that. Mahana made an attempt. "You know you're not making any sense, don't you Orihime? Even less than usual…"

"Hime, what are you talking about," Chizuru asked blankly, eyebrows raised in confusion. Orihime fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Well, you see," Orihime explained matter-of-factly, "people seem to think that I like Ulquiorra, but I don't. I like Kurosaki-kun. Kurosaki-kun is the only one for me."

"Really," Mahana replied, "I thought all that was over. I mean you and that Ulquiorra guy had some real chemistry." Orihime shook her head gently, as if she were correcting the statement of a young child.

"No, no," Orihime claimed, a blissful smile gracing her face. Beneath it seethed what felt like years of frustrations, "that's where you are _wrong_. Ulquiorra and I do _not_ get along. He's mean and he's cold and he never listens to what I say. And he calls my nakama trash and he keeps embarrassing me and he always complains about the games I want to play and he hates my sense of style and he won't let me fight Hollows and he's _intense to a fault _and he actually _likes_ the Conservative party and doesn't like Ayashi-sensei and says that Shoujo mangas are stupid and he wasn't even sad when V died –"

Orihime, who had started ranting, was eventually cut off by Tatsuki. "Orihime, you weren't saying these things about him yesterday." Orihime thought about that for a moment, staring wide-eyed at her best friend.

"Kurosaki-kun, overall, is much better," Orihime decided, her index finger raised to highlight the truth of her words. "He is kind and strong and courageous and has a funny face and… he never says any mean things to me." Orihime again nodded firmly.

Michiru raised her voice. "So you're in love with Ulquiorra?" All eyes turned to the docile girl, and Orihime spluttered incoherently.

"How do you figure that," Mahana asked, honestly surprised by her friend's conclusion.

"Well," Michiru stated as if it were obvious, a light blush on her face. "Orihime has so much to say about Ulquiorra, but when it comes to Kurosaki…"

Mahana laughed. "Hey, you're right!"

"B-But, I was only saying bad things about Ulquiorra," Orihime exclaimed as a defence. "I didn't say anything about how handsome he is, or how he's considerate and protective and strong and elegant and smart and how he doesn't treat me like a kid and has a funny face and–" Orihime stopped herself, dramatically bringing her hands to her mouth as she gasped.

"See," Mahana pointed out, "you do love him. Why are you trying to deny it?" Orihime looked severely disturbed, her hands still sealing her lips.

"She's obviously still hung up on Kurosaki," Chizuru commented, pretending to be disinterested. "But Hime's got no chance there; Kurosaki is all eye-ball sex with Rukia lately." Orihime looked even more traumatized.

"So," Tatsuki followed up, "this brings us back to the central issue. Why are you so upset with Ulquiorra?"

Orihime mechanically turned her trauma-filled gaze to Tatsuki. "There is no way that I could love Ulquiorra. No way," the redhead deadpanned, a little piece of her dead on the inside.

Tatsuki rolled her eyes. "Why?"

Orihime was silent a moment, her absolute stillness Ulquiorresque. "There is no way that I could love Ulquiorra. No way." Silence fell heavy.

Mahana giggled. "I never would have thought that Orihime would fall for a guy like that!"

"Hey! It's not a done deal yet," Chizuru countered passionately. "I still have a chance!"

"I don't think you ever really had a chance," Michiru commented, then promptly shrunk to the size of a bean beneath Chizuru's glare of death.

Tatsuki sighed. Was Orihime acting weird just because she was becoming aware of her feelings for Ulquiorra, or was there something else? Obviously, Tatsuki still didn't trust Ulquiorra, and she certainly didn't approve of him getting all touchy on her best friend. But, Tatsuki realized, if Orihime really _really_ loved Ulquiorra, and he wasn't pulling any funny business, she could live with the two of them being a couple… If she tried real hard… maybe…

As Tatsuki considered all of this, her wandering gaze took notice of Ichigo stalking alone towards the school, visibly seething. Concerned, she flagged him over. "Yo, Ichigo! Come 'ere!"

Perking up as he heard his name called, Ichigo caught sight of the girls sitting on the lawn. Still aggravated as hell, the Vizard strode over to his childhood friend.

"What's up," Ichigo asked flatly, managing not to sound too rude. Tatsuki looked him over with scrutiny, her eyebrows raised.

"What the hell happened to you," Tatsuki demanded, blunt as a whack to his head. "You look like you're gonna kill someone."

Ichigo's brow furrowed further. "I wake up this morning, and I find a note from her saying that she's gone back," the Vizard grits through his teeth, too angry to care if what he says sounds weird to Tatsuki's friends, who were pretending not to listen, instead focusing on the unmoving shell that was the remainder of Orihime's life. "I mean, she doesn't say _why_ she's going or when she's coming back, or _if_ she's coming back, and I'm just supposed to wait around for her here like an asshole."

Tatsuki frowned. "And she's never done something like this before?"

"She left a note before she was captured," Ichigo said in a dead sort of voice, looking in another direction. Tatsuki also diverted her eyes. She remembered that part.

Searching around his surroundings for a distraction, Ichigo's eyes landed right at his feet, where Orihime sat unmoving. _Weird, Inoue's usually the first to say hello…_ "Yo, Inoue, you okay?"

"Never mind her, Ichigo," Tatsuki sighed. "She's going through… a transition." Confused, Ichigo crouched down, and stared into the haunted, disturbed and unblinking eyes of Inoue Orihime. The Vizard quirked an eyebrow.

"She's not reacting at all," Ichigo commented nonchalantly, waving his hand in front of the redhead's face. "Are you sure this is okay?"

"I'm sure she'll be fine," Tatsuki assured. "But just for good measure… Orihime, Ulquiorra is coming up right behind you."

Orihime immediately jolted from her stupor, and swung around with a startling anticipation in her eyes. "Ulquiorra, I want my flower –" The redhead stopped herself as she noticed that, in fact, Ulquiorra was nowhere in sight. Pouting in disappointment that, once again, her fantasy was only a fantasy, Orihime took notice of her friends gazing at her smugly with big smiles on their faces. Among them was a certain Kurosaki Ichigo, who's expression was more akin to incredulity. Tatsuki sighed, under her breath saying "what is she daydreaming about now…"

"What has Ulquiorra done to you," Ichigo interrogated, eyes bewildered and suspicious.

Orihime changed the subject. "Kurosaki-kun, what's your favourite baseball team?"

"That doesn't count, Orihime," Mahana interjected evilly. "If it didn't come naturally, there's no point in forcing it!" Michiru, Mahana and Chizuru laughed, the latter two in a cruel, evil way.

All Ichigo could say was "Hun?". Tatsuki shook her head sullenly.

"Stop bullying me," Orihime pouted, the disturbed look returning to her eyes.

* * *

The first class that morning was Japanese. By the time Orihime and her emotionally-abusive friends arrived in class, Ulquiorra was already sitting at his seat, silently flipping through the pages of the assigned novel.

"Well, Orihime," Mahana coaxed, her hands on the redhead's back pushing her forward, "there he is. Just go talk to him!"

"B-But… Kurosaki-kun…" Orihime pleaded. But there would be no mercy for her today. The group of girls arrived in front of Ulquiorra's desk. Disinterested, the arrancar looked up from his book.

"Orihime has a confession to make," Mahana proclaimed to the sitting teenager.

Tatsuki sighed. "You really shouldn't force her like this. Orihime isn't ready."

"Orihime will never be ready," Mahana countered, "unless we give her a little push." Turning her attention towards the redhead again, Mahana continued in a suggestive tone. "Don't you have something to confess to Ulquiorra?"

"But," Orihime murmured vacantly to no one in particular. "But I like Kurosaki-kun…" Mahana hit Orihime's shoulder playfully, saying "he's not supposed to know that!"

As Ulquiorra gazed into Orihime's clearly haunted eyes, he could say only one thing. "What have you done to Orihime?"

"Hey, it wasn't _us_ who did this to her," Tatsuki countered matter-of-factly. "You're obviously the one who did something to confuse her."

Ulquiorra thought about that for a moment, blankly facing the group of girls. "I don't understand."

"Did you confess to her, or something," Tatsuki demanded, very much like the protective big sister she felt like.

"I have confessed many things to her," Ulquiorra easily admitted. Tatsuki smacked her forehead.

"Right, soul-eating creature from another dimension," the karate champ reminded herself. "Ulquiorra, have you confessed your love to Orihime?"

Ulquiorra's eyebrow furrowed in disdain. This was the second time someone accused him of loving Orihime since he arrived on Earth. "What would make you think that I love Orihime?"

"Well, for starters," Mahana interjected, "you're super possessive of her, and you get jealous whenever someone gets within a five-foot radius of her."

"And you're always touching her," Michiru added from safely behind Chizuru, who was watching the scene and silently weighing her options. Everyone immediately turned towards her.

"How does that mean that he loves her," Tatsuki questioned.

"It just means he's a pervert," Chizuru stated bluntly.

"Well, no," Michiru explained. "I mean, they say that the person who loves you is also most likely to kill you, like people who kill their spouses because they caught them cheating or something. So no matter what sort of bond it is, the people who have really strong feelings for someone, like love and hatred, express it through touch."

Silence reigned. Orihime looked like she had just seen Michiru kill a puppy. Under their blank gazes, Michiru tried yet again to clarify. "I don't mean that Ulquiorra hates Orihime, but he can't help himself from touching her, so that means… that he loves her…"

"Wow," Mahana commented, surprised. "Who would have thought that you knew so much about this stuff?" Michiru laughed awkwardly, and then all eyes turned to Ulquiorra.

Ulquiorra considered what he had heard for a good minute. "Is what you say the truth?"

"Wouldn't you be the one to know," Tatsuki returned, her eyes probing. If this guy did love Orihime, then that would explain his reason for being in the Material World. He would no longer be a threat because he was an arrancar, and would instead be a threat because he was her best friend's creepy boyfriend.

"It is possible," Ulquiorra deduced. He knew he felt feelings of affection towards Orihime, an affinity, a fascination, for sure. Love, however, was a human concept he still didn't understand. Nevertheless, Ulquiorra could not simply dismiss the notion, because it seemed that with every minute he spent in Orihime's presence he was drawn deeper and deeper into the world of human experience.

Just then, the bell rang, signalling the start of class. Orihime mechanically sat in her seat beside Ulquiorra, who wisely judged that this would not be the best time to shake her from her daze. She must have been as confused as he was.

Orihime spent the next hour absently doodling in her notebook. Ulquiorra took notes for her.

* * *

Rukia gazed up at the clear blue summer sky, watching intently as a few thin slivers of cloud slipped by. It was a day just like any other in Soul Society. The warm breeze caressed her hair.

"I like the human world better than Soul Society," Rukia asserted suddenly. Beside her on the golden roof, Renji raised a tattooed eyebrow.

"What makes ya say that," Renji asked, as he wondered why Rukia was acting so strangely. Was it this 'new king of Las Noches' thing that had her so worried? Renji found it unlikely. She was a soldier, after all.

Rukia was silent a moment, her arms crossed beneath her head and her violet eyes still staring at the sky. "There are no seasons in Soul Society. It's always the same."

"Yeah…" Renji wondered if Rukia would get to what was worrying her on her own. He wondered if she was waiting for him to ask. In all honesty, he was at a complete loss.

The two sat in silence for a while longer. Still gazing up at the sky, Rukia spoke. "I think that I'm in love with Ichigo." Renji choked on his spit, coughing like a bad smoker.

"Oi, Renji, you okay," Rukia asked, rising from her reclined position to get a better look at her childhood friend. The Fukutaichou soon stopped coughing, his fist firmly against his chest as he cleared his throat.

"I knew that," Renji asserted, trying to salvage the vestiges of his poise. When he noticed Rukia looking at him confusedly, he clarified. "It's been kinda obvious for a while that you like 'em."

Rukia's big eyes widened. "You're kidding." Both shinigami were now sitting upright on the golden-coloured roof, looking upon the streets of the Sixth Division.

"Not even," Renji claimed. "I mean, what with the whole daring romantic rescue –"

"Oh, not you too," Rukia muttered, elbowing her friend in the ribs. "Kon said the same thing."

"Heh," Renji laughed, "But I'm serious, I saw it coming." Rukia let out a humourless laugh, and a comfortable silence fell on the two again.

Rukia lied herself back down again. Sighing, she realized that this was exactly what she had needed. Returning to Soul Society had been a good idea, she got to speak with Renji, she got to see Byakuya. Even if it was only to inform him of Ulquiorra's behaviour and arrangements in the Material world, and about what Ulquiorra had said about a new King of Las Noches, Byakuya's presence was as calming and reassuring as ever.

She felt like she could get some perspective up in Soul Society. It was so much easier to think clearly without Ichigo's constant stares of anger and anxiety. No matter how she thought of it, up here on this roof with Renji, there was no way for her and Ichigo to be together. Too much separated them, there existed too many barriers between their two world.

She reached a slender arm up to the distant sky, her delicate fingers clawing at the blue. There were barriers too strong to be broken, not _meant_ to be broken…

"So," Renji started casually, trying to keep himself from smirking, "how far have you guys gotten?" He was surprised when, a moment later, he was not in pain.

"Renji," Rukia beckoned in a strained tone. Before the Fukutaichou could turn completely to face her, he found himself in a crater in the dirt. Looking up, he saw a very flustered Rukia, arms crossed over her chest and face red. "How could you even suggest something like that?!" Renji laughed evilly, and jumped up to join Rukia on the roof.

"Well, I mean, all this time that you've spent 'sleeping in his closet'…" Renji trailed off suggestively, smiling broadly as Rukia tried to overcome her embarrassment enough to hit him again.

"I-I said that _I_ love Ichigo," Rukia stammered, "I never said that he had any feelings for _me_!" Renji's smile dropped from his face.

"He rejected you," Renji guessed, his tone slightly incredulous. What guy in the world was too good for his first love? He'd pound 'em.

Rukia hesitated. "Well, not exactly…"

"You didn't even tell him, did you," Renji questioned, crossing his arms menacingly and frowning.

"Well, no, but –" Rukia tried to defend.

"Then why the hell are you going around lookin' so depressed," Renji demanded. "If this keeps on, Byakuya'll think that they're torturing ya down there. And I'm not going all the way down to Karakura to haul out yer lovesick ass!"

"Hey," Rukia exclaimed, indignant. "Don't you think I have a reason for being so depressed?! There's no way that Ichigo could like me! And even if he did, I'm a shinigami, so –"

"Pssh –" Renji dismissed. "If Urahara could turn a shinigami int'a Vizard and a Hollow int'an arrancar, ya think he can't turn a shinigami int'a human?"

"I don't _want_ to be a human," Rukia asserted. "What am I supposed to do, selfishly abandon all my duties and take a chance on a human teenager?!"

"Who said ya had ta abandon yer duties," Renji countered. "Ya know that there hasn't been a Hollow victim in Karakura in all the times ya guys spent there? Having _two_ shinigami in Karakura _all the time_ is _increasing _yer efficiency!"

"Okay," Rukia conceded. "But Ichigo's sixteen now. Even if he _does_ like me, which he doesn't, and I stay with him in the human world, what do I do when he meets someone else in a couple of years?!"

"If he's really inta ya," Renji defended, "there won't _be_ anyone else. And he's inta ya. I know."

"But –" Rukia started, pained eyes diverted.

"But nothing," Renji interrupted, loud and boisterous. "If you really love him, then there's nothing to talk about. So stop looking so freakin' depressed and –" The Fukutaichou shut up when he noticed tears in Rukia's eyes. How long had it been since he had seen her cry?

"Aw, come 'ere ya big baby," Renji lulled, wrapping his arms around Rukia. She pushed against his chest.

"I'm not 'a baby," Rukia defended weakly. "I'm just frustrated." Rukia breathed a deep sigh, clearing the tears from her throat and her spirit, and after a long moment Renji let her break his embrace.

"Thanks Renji, I really needed to talk to you about this–" Rukia started, gratitude in her eyes. She stopped however, when she felt her brother's reiatsu spike just below them. Looking down from the Sixth Division administrative building's roof, Rukia and Renji saw icy death in Byakuya's get-your-filthy-hands-off-my-sister glare.

"Fuck," Renji swore as he turned pale. Rukia just laughed. Maybe now would be a good time to head home.

* * *

Ulquiorra stayed behind after class. The classroom was empty and quiet, and the only sound he heard was the muffled murmur of the students in the halls. Ulquiorra was left alone to his thoughts.

Orihime still couldn't so much as look him in the eye. Had he gone too far? Had he pushed her over the edge? Ulquiorra didn't understand what was going on.

There was something unfamiliar inside him. A foreign presence deep in his chest that could not be ignored. An unheard voice that was growing steadily stronger, that reached a little farther each time. The entity was irrepressible, pervasive in every way. He felt swallowed by it, consumed by this overwhelming presence.

The presence whispered to him. It was soft at first, the guilt over making her cry, but was now growing uncontrollably stronger. The obsession with her every word, with her every expression, with every last hair on her head. The constant, ridiculous, concern over her well-being every minute of the day. The undeniable urge to hold her, to touch her in any way, to protect her in his arms. The all-encompassing desire to make her smile.

The alien presence lured him from the classroom. His body absently followed. It found her reiatsu, in an isolated hallway on the forth floor. It drew him to her.

The world was empty. Everything was grey. No order existed in his jumbled mind. He gazed at her from afar. She watched the rain.

Why was she shutting him out? Didn't she feel the same way towards him? Ulquiorra didn't understand. Didn't Orihime know that he was no longer in control? His body was no longer his; he existed only to be with her. The feelings in his heart were festering, overpowering him, and he couldn't hold them back any longer. He didn't understand why he _should_ hold them back. Wasn't the ability to care deeply for someone what she had wanted for him?

Silently, Ulquiorra approached Orihime. Unaware, she continued to gaze absently at the downpour outside. He reached out towards her in a tender, innocent embrace. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her from behind, drawing her into him.

As they watched the rain, Ulquiorra wished that somehow his feelings would reach her.

* * *

"Che," the cruel being scoffed, as he entered his domain. He looked upon the barely-breathing form of his assistant sprawled lifelessly on the crimson-coated floor. "This thing can't do a damn thing."

* * *

Ulquiorra, Orihime learnt, could teleport.

Just when she would least except it, he would materialize out of thin air behind her in some remote location. She would feel his large, gentle hands cling to her. Although they held her firmly, his arms were hesitant, unsure, afraid. He wanted her to reach out to him just like he reached out to her. He didn't want to be shut out. He didn't want to be left all alone. Orihime felt it all in his embrace.

And yet, she could only stand there, frozen with indecision. Did she want to touch him back? Or did she want to push him away? Orihime just didn't know anymore.

Logically, the best way to avoid these encounters with her beloved stalker would be to stop wandering off on breaks and to simply endure the increasingly disturbing comments and pieces of advice her so-called 'friends' were offering her. But instead, after each class, Orihime would wander the halls, or walk off to the park adjoined to the school or to the roof, and seek solace in the brisk autumn air and the rich scent of wet earth.

Orihime was in the park, pushing herself slowly back and forth on the swing, deep in thought. Ulquiorra silently approached her, his heart worn thin from her repeated silent rejections.

She still hadn't noticed him even as he stood directly behind her. This time, Ulquiorra's grey-clad knees fell to the damp floor as he wrapped his arms around Orihime's waist. Because of the swing's height, Ulquiorra's mouth was perfectly at her ear-level. The redhead jumped in surprise, but didn't say a word.

"How long do you want to continue this, Orihime?" He received no answer. She was a block of wood beneath his desperate fingers.

"Your mindset is rather infantile, is it not," Ulquiorra questioned again. He needed an answer; he needed her voice. He needed to know that she was still by his side. He could feel Orihime's pulse increase.

"You think that you can pretend that nothing has happened so long as you do not see it as it happens." The willowy arrancar brought one hand to cover Orihime's eyes. Slowly, carefully, he pushed the girl against his shoulder, allowing her to lean against him. He cradled her in his arms.

"Is what you are feeling now not real," Ulquiorra murmured into Orihime's ear, voice deep, lulling, seductive, pleading. "Is what I am feeling now not real?" His arms wrapped more tightly around Orihime.

Ulquiorra's heart weighed heavily with disappointment when the redhead still would not utter a word, nor budge even a centimetre. Eyes sad, he broke the tender embrace, and brought both of his hands back into his pockets.

As he got up to leave, Ulquiorra spoke to the unmoving girl, his voice nothing more than a murmur carried in the autumn wind. "Orihime, the feelings in my inexistent heart were your gift to me. All I can do is follow where they lead me."

With those words, the arrancar set off on the winding road back to the school. Orihime was late for her next class.

* * *

"Ah, Kuchiki," a voice called behind her. Rukia jumped, turning quickly from the duffle bag on her bed, carefully concealing it behind her.

"T-Taichou," Rukia stammered. Ukitake stood at her door, smiling goofily. "Back from the Captain's meeting already?"

"Yah," Ukitake said lightly, pretending not to notice the bag. "I wanted the thank you for delivering the information to Byakuya."

"Uh," Rukia hesitated, "with all due respect, Taichou…" Ukitake just slightly tilted his head to the side. "You don't seem all too worried..."

Ukitake surprised Rukia by laughing lightly. "Well, Barragan and Halibel have passed, Stark doesn't seem like the type to cause trouble, and Ulquiorra is in the material world. Whoever this new 'king' is, it'll be someone that Soul Society can handle," the Captain's mouth turned downwards into a frown. "That is, if he or she is acting aggressively. There are still a lot of unknown factors."

Rukia asked her Captain the question she couldn't bring herself to ask her brother. "Taichou, what does the Soutaichou want to do about the Espada Ulquiorra?" The man shrugged.

"Well, you know better than most anyone that the Soutaichou isn't the most… forgiving of men," Ukitake said carefully, as he watched Rukia's eyes widen in fear. "But with our forces already spread so thin, I don't think he wants to risk going to battle again unnecessarily."

Rukia paused, her violet eyes, filled with resolution, were concentrated on her Captain's. "If the Soutaichou does decide to eliminate Ulquiorra, Inoue will stand against Soul Society." Ukitake's expression stiffened. "And if Inoue stands against Soul Society, so will I." Silence fell.

The Captain sighed. "I know." He understood what the implications would be if Soul Society made a move against Ulquiorra. If Orihime got between Yamamoto and Ulquiorra, so would her nakama. And then there were the remaining Captains, who were, at best, fickle and insane… Most-likely scenario: civil war in the Seireitei. Ukitake shook his head, turning back towards the door. He had a bad feeling about all of this.

"Oh, right, Kuchiki," Ukitake suddenly said, as if he had just remembered. He turned to face Rukia, who was standing at attention, with a kind smile. "Remember to pack lots of warm cloths. Japanese winters can get really cold."

"Wha-" Rukia spluttered, face red. "Captain!"

Ukitake raised his hand in a friendly salute. "Remember to visit often, Kuchiki!" With those words, the Captain closed the sliding door. He walked down the hall of the barrack with a goofy grin on his face, glad that Rukia was finally letting herself be happy.

* * *

The bell rang; another class finished. Orihime felt the eyes of her friends on her. Most perturbing, she found, was Ulquiorra's steady and needy gaze on her compared to Ichigo's annoyed scowl as he stared out the window.

"Are you okay, Orihime," Tatsuki asked from right beside her. Orihime stared down at her lap for a moment before slowly looking up to meet her best friend's worried gaze.

"I need to speak with you," Orihime sounded, voice slow and quiet. Tatsuki's eyes hardened in resolution as she took hold of Orihime's hand. As she did this, Tatsuki caught sight of Ulquiorra closing his eyes as he looked the other way.

Once the girls were out of the classroom, along with most of the other students, Ulquiorra took notice of Ichigo sitting just a few seats in front of him. He looked angry. Ulquiorra rose from his seat.

"You seem particularly irritated today," Ulquiorra noted, voice revealing nothing but complete apathy.

"Fuck off," Ichigo intoned. He was not in the mood to deal with anyone, let alone this asshole.

Ulquiorra's eyes narrowed. "You are concerned over the shinigami Kuchiki Rukia?"

Ichigo turned towards Ulquiorra, eyes promising a beating. "I told you to fuck off. This has nothing to do with you." Ulquiorra just continued to stare.

"Perhaps not," the arrancar tonelessly agreed. "But I would be very displeased if your continuously foul mood were to worry Orihime." Ichigo, eyes burning, rose to his feet.

"Do you think that I fucking care what you think?" Ichigo was livid. He towered over the smaller man. Ulquiorra didn't blink. "This is all your fault anyway," the Vizard muttered dangerously before walking straight past Ulquiorra and stalking off towards the door.

The former Espada looked over his shoulder. "It is not my fault that you are unable to accept the shinigami's feelings." Raw fury exploded from Ichigo's eyes at Ulquiorra's words.

"How the fuck could I ever accept her feelings," Ichigo spat, his words pure vitriol. "She'd be better off with anyone else!" The Vizard clenched his fists to keep from attacking Ulquiorra, and just walked away. He scoffed. "Whatever. I don't care," Ichigo threw over his shoulder.

A moment later, Ichigo made a deep dent in an unsuspecting locker.

* * *

Orihime was back on the forth floor, gazing forlornly out the window as if her answers were written somewhere out there. Tatsuki stood beside her. They were silent for what felt like an eternity.

"I think that I'm in love with Ulquiorra," Orihime confessed suddenly. She tore her eyes off of the scenery to look into Tatsuki's eyes. "And I don't know what to do."

Tatsuki wasn't too sure what to say. She decided she needed more information. "Why do you think that you love him?" Orihime's shoulders visibly sunk.

"I don't know," Orihime got out, her tone just a little exasperated. "It doesn't make any sense. I mean, we're so different from each other. If I think about it, we don't even get along very well. We argue, like, every day." Tatsuki nodded, listening intently. Orihime sighed in frustration. "I don't understand why I like being around him so much. I shouldn't care about him this much, but I do."

Tatsuki considered what she heard. "If you love him, than why are you holding back?"

"Because I thought that I loved Kurosaki-kun," Orihime replied, trying to meet Tatsuki's gaze. "I'm so confused. I mean, if I were the princess, then Kurosaki-kun would be the prince, right?" Orihime waved her hands around trying to clarify the story. "And that would make Ulquiorra the dragon. What was _supposed_ to happen was that the prince defeats the dragon, and the prince and the princess live happily ever after.

"But that didn't happen at all! The prince saved the princess, and then the dragon came and saved the princess too! So then now the dragon is also a prince, or turns into a prince once the princess kisses him…" Orihime drifted off, looking back out the window. Tatsuki was silent.

"If you don't love Ichigo anymore, Orihime, don't feel bad about it," Tatsuki tried to assure.

"But I _do_ feel bad about it," she looked her best friend in the eye. "The night that I left, I told Kurosaki-kun that I wished I could spend five lifetimes in love with him. I thought I was going to die, Tatsuki-chan," Orihime exclaimed, voice full of emotion. "And I just wanted to live and be by his side. But then ever since I came back from Las Noches, all I can think about is Ulquiorra and how I want to make him happy. I feel like it's _me_ who's changed, and I don't know who I am anymore." Orihime fell silent.

"Orihime," Tatsuki said, trying her best to be supportive, "you're still you…"

Orihime was silent a while, gazing despondently out the window. "Can you imagine what Kurosaki-kun would say? Ulquiorra almost killed him… And Ishida-kun. He still doesn't like shinigami, so I don't think he'll ever be accepting of a Hollow… And Kuchiki-san is a shinigami…"

"They'll just have to deal with it," Tatsuki asserted. "I mean, I'm not too happy about this either, but no one's going to do anything to make you unhappy, Orihime." The redhead's head hung a little lower.

"I don't like making all of you guys worry," Orihime admitted. "I wish that there was some way that you guys could see that Ulquiorra's actually a really great guy…"

Tatsuki read her friend's look. "Orihime, you have to be happy. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks."

Orihime's lip quivered. "But," She tried to protest, but had nothing to say. She sighed. "I don't know what I'm doing. This is so stupid. I'm putting a strain on everybody."

"Orihime," Tatsuki said, drawing her friend's full attention with her sagely tone, "if you love this guy, then don't hold back. I can live with the rest, but I can't live with seeing you unhappy."

"But…" Orihime murmured, shifting her eyes. "But he's an arrancar…"

Tatsuki took in the sight of her best friend, her sister. She shrugged, a frown on her face. "He looks pretty human to me."

The two friends locked eyes at that moment. Admits volumes of unspoken words, Orihime smiled in gratitude.

They stood in silence for a long while.


	14. Conflict

In my English class, we read this play called the "The Goat" by Edward Albee. You know one of those pieces that make you feel so disturbed and nervous that it's funny? That's "The Goat."

It's about a happily married man named Martin with a wonderful relationship with his wife, Stevie. They have a homosexual son named Billy. And Martin has a secret: he's fallen in love with a goat that he saw in the countryside, named Sylvia. Martin and Sylvia the Goat have a sexual relationship that continues for months, before Martin spills the beans to his best friend. From there, everything that was ever important to Martin is torn apart.

It was a great play. Makes you question the nature of relationships. In a way that has you cringing in embarrassment.

* * *

Unflappable, the stoic Ulquiorra sat with his hands in his pockets and his eyes closed. The slender teenager was so motionless that one might question if he was even awake. He certainly didn't seem to be paying much attention to the lecture, in any case.

Although, as was the usual with him, it was precisely the opposite.

"What is love," the teacher asked the class for the umpteenth, looking to shake the students out of their lethargy. Only three or four students in the class of thirty has spoken up and offered their opinions. "Who are you to say that the man in this play wasn't really in love with Sylvia the Goat?" The sensei waved around the screenplay "The Goat" by Edward Albee in her hand for emphasis. Orihime squirmed in her seat across the room from Ulquiorra.

"Well, he couldn't have been," one brave student protested. "I mean, its sick, wasn't he _fucking_ the goat?"

"Yes, he was fucking the goat," the teacher agreed, "and that disgusts you right?" The teacher saw many of her poor students nod. "But then, how many of you think that homosexual love is disgusting." Fewer students nodded, and some of the female students giggled and sharing glances among each other as if they shared a tantalizing secret.

"Okay," the same student continued. "But that's completely different! I mean, gays are people, but we're talking about a goat!"

"Chimpanzees have 98% of our DNA," the teacher replied, "would you feel better about Martin and the goat being in love if the goat had been a monkey?" Faces scrunched in disgust. The teacher was just about to further mindfuck her students, when something unexpected happened. Ulquiorra raised his hand. The room fell deathly silent.

"Why shouldn't beings of two different species be able to love each other," the pale, terrifying man questioned.

The teacher hesitated for just a second. "Good question. What do you guys think?"

"Well, like," one girl said, "it's okay for an owner to love her dog, but not if she's doing it with him!" Sounds of agreement were heard all around.

"So you guys draw the line at sex," the teacher surmised. "Why? Why draw the line-" Ulquiorra's hand rose high again.

"You haven't answered my question," Ulquiorra noted grimly, piercing green eyes somehow dull.

"What do you mean," the teachers asked.

"Is there some sort of societal dogma that forbids 'Canadians' and humans from being 'in love', for instance," the arrancar asked. This was certainly something that he should be aware of, just in case.

The whole class laughed as Orihime's eyes widened and she turned as red as a beat. She looked to Tatsuki beside her, but the girl was having trouble stifling a laugh as well.

"Hey, don't laugh," the teacher commanded, even as she held back a broad smile. "Don't worry, Schiffer, I think your Japanese is superb, especially for a foreigner. What you meant to say was 'societal dogma that forbids white people and Asian people from being in love.' Right?"

Ulquiorra was silent. The teacher went on to talk about race relations and a whole bunch of other things that the poor unfortunate arrancar couldn't hope to understand. Giving up on ever hoping to comprehend what the teacher was talking about, Ulquiorra turned his superior mental capabilities to a more pressing issue.

"What does 'fucking' have to do with 'love'," The arrancar questioned yet again. Orihime's hands were getting clammy. There had to be some way to keep Ulquiorra from knowing…

Students laughed, but they were once again silenced by the sensei. "No, no, these are good questions. Why do we associate sex with love?"

"You can have sex without being in love," one male student was quick to point out. "Like Martin fucking the goat." The teacher shot a look at the student.

"Once you actually _read_ the play, Aoshima," the teacher commented judgementally, "you'll see that Albee does a really good job of making you believe that Martin _is_ in love with the goat."

"Well," one girl, having finally worked up enough nerve, raised her voice. "You have sex with a person because you love them." Ulquiorra's eyes widened. Ah-ha!

"But," Orihime exclaimed suddenly. "But even if you love someone, it doesn't mean you should try to do it with them," the girl released in a gust. "Actually, if you really, _really_ love them, the absolute _best_ you could do is to _not_ try to do it with them!" The girl huffed for air, her face red as she turned towards Tatsuki beside her. Her classmates looked at her as if she had lost her mind. "Right, Tatsuki-chan?"

"I agree completely," Tatsuki agreed solemnly, playing along. "If you love someone, and you try to do it with them, you could actually end up making them hate you." Ulquiorra's brow furrowed in confusion. Something wasn't making sense here…

"Anyway," the teacher said, changing the subject as she checked the time. "Does Martin love his wife? _Could_ he love his wife all while also loving the goat?"

* * *

"This information, in Ulquiorra's hands, could lead to my destruction," Orihime stated ominously, a cloud of paranoia and impending doom hanging over her. Tatsuki raised an eyebrow.

"Aren't you being a little melodramatic, Orihime," the teenager asked as she sipped on her juice box. "I mean, you said that he listens to you, right?"

Orihime crossed her arms. "He doesn't listen all _too_ well," the busty redhead brooded. "I think the only reason he hasn't tied me down and gone through with it yet is because he thinks that sex is somehow evil…"

"Well, I don't think our Humanities discussions are going to change his mind," Tatsuki asserted reassuringly. "I mean, we're talking about a guy who had an affair with a goat here."

Orihime laughed awkwardly. "The most disturbing thing about that play was that I was actually rooting for Martin and the goat Sylvia…" Tatsuki's mouth fell open in shock.

"Orihime!"

"What, they were cute together," the teenager defended. The two friends laughed at the ridiculousness of it all.

"So, Orihime," Tatsuki started, a devilish smile spreading across her face. "You and Ulquiorra are still sleeping in the same bed, aren't you?"

"N-No," the redhead stuttered. Her protest died on her tongue, however, when she saw that I-can-read-you-like-a-book look on Tatsuki's face. "Well, ya… sort of…"

"Why," Tatsuki questioned. "Wouldn't it be easier for you if he slept on the extra futon?" Orihime blushed, closely examining the aluminum foil that held her sandwich.

"Well… I mean, he's right that the futon _does_ smell like alcohol…" Orihime got out, choosing her words very carefully. "And it's not like I mind that he's there or anything…" Tatsuki smiled mischievously.

"You _so_ have the hots for him," Tatsuki teased.

"Hey," Orihime exclaimed defensively, "It's not my fault that he's so… loving!" Tatsuki just about chocked on her juice.

"Loving," the girl shouted incredulously. "You gotta be kidding!"

"Surprisingly, Ulquiorra's a real touchy-feely guy," Orihime said with a quiet laugh, eyes flooded with warmth. "He's kind and affectionate and doting –"

"Stop," Tatsuki visibly winced. "I can't hear anymore. Does not compute." The spiky-haired teenager looked over to her best friend, who's angelic face still carried that dreamy expression. Tatsuki's eyes softened in sympathy. "You've fallen hard, haven't you?"

The redhead smiled sadly. "I think so, Tatsuki-chan," Orihime replied softly.

"Did you tell him how you feel," Tatsuki asked gently.

Orihime's face reddened abruptly, and Tatsuki raised an eyebrow. "Well… I, er, I told him that I… that I…" Orihime fiddled with the tin foil and then with the sleeve of her uniform. Tatsuki erupted in laughter, easily reading her best friend's expression.

"Way to go, Orihime," Tatsuki laughed. "You tell him _that_ before you tell him that you like him? You're lucky that he's from another dimension or I don't know what he would think of _you_."

"Tatsuki-chan," Orihime exclaimed, blushing furiously. "It didn't just happen like that! This stuff is complicated!"

Tatsuki's laughter died down as realization dawned on her. "Orihime, you never said that you were attracted to Ichigo like that, did you?

"Nope," Orihime said, masking her embarrassment with cheerfulness. "Ulquiorra's the first."

Tatsuki held back a shudder as she shook her head. "I still don't understand what you see in that guy…"

"Ulquiorra's great," Orihime exclaimed defensively. "He doesn't really act it in public, but when we're alone he's really considerate and affectionate." Tatsuki raised an eyebrow, obviously not satisfied. Orihime blushed again. "You'd understand if you saw him shirtless." Tatsuki cracked a mischievous smile. So Orihime was a normal teenage girl after all… she just needed the right guy to bring it out.

"So all those moves I taught you to seduce Ichigo are gonna be used on Ulquiorra," Tatsuki teased, only half joking.

"T-Tatsuki-chan," Orihime stumbled in embarrassment. "Do you think I'm crazy?! If I ever made a move on Ulquiorra, it wouldn't end with just kissing."

Tatsuki laughed dryly. "Ya don't say," the teenager muttered, voice dripping sarcasm before she turned serious. "You should buy some condoms just in case. You don't want to get pregnant."

"You're so mean Tatsuki-chan…" Orihime murmured. She couldn't even imagine herself… at the pharmacy… with Ulquiorra… Abruptly, the girl let out an embarrassed squeal as she covered her mouth with her hands.

Watching her best friend wiggle uncomfortably, Tatsuki didn't quite know if she was doing the right thing. All of this stuff was dumped on her so quickly. Even though she knew a million good reasons to be staunchly opposed to this relationship, Tatsuki simply couldn't bring herself to make Orihime unhappy. For now, at least, all she could do was help Orihime along whichever path she chose.

* * *

"Well," Chizuru started, both voice and face blank. "Aren't you going to make your move?"

Ulquiorra looked up from his sandwich to the ring of girls seated beside him. They gazed at him questioningly, almost as if they were dissecting him with their eyes. "Make my move?"

"Yah," Mahana nodded leaning forwards with her palms on her knees. "I mean, you _do_ like Orihime, don't you?"

Ulquiorra frowned, just slightly. He was really getting annoyed with how Orihime's friends used to word 'like'. They said it as if they meant it to mean so much more than what the dictionary definition implied. "I do like Orihime."

Mahana crossed her arms. "I mean, do you really _like_ her?"

"I have answered that question fourteen times," Ulquiorra intoned, just a hint of frustration in his voice. "How many times to you intend to repeat it?"

Mahana sighed in exasperation. Michiru shook her head sullenly. "He doesn't get it."

"So, Schiffer," Mahana tried again. "How far have you and Orihime gotten?" Ulquiorra gazed at the girl blankly, thoroughly confused. She raised an eyebrow and peered at him judgementally. "Is there some kind of language barrier here that I don't know about?"

"I don't know," Michiru replied, looking quizzically at Ulquiorra. "Do you think he's even understood a word we've said?"

"The weird thing is that he isn't even any good at English," Chizuru noted. "Don't they speak English in Canada?"

"I thought they spoke French," Michiru added. "Like in the cartoons." The three teenagers titled their heads, watching Ulquiorra eat his sandwich with intense scrutiny.

"How could Orihime fall in love with him if they couldn't even communicate," Michiru wondered out loud.

Mahana shrugged. "He _is _really good looking, even though he's creepy. But this is Orihime we're talking about; anyone she likes _must_ be weird."

Chizuru's eyes sparkled. "If it's just a hormonal attraction, I can still win over Hime-chan! I'm much better looking than this guy anyway."

Mahana pouted. "You're never going to give up are you?"

"Women on a mission never give up on love," Chizuru proclaimed with a thumbs up and a triumphant grin. Mahana sighed, while Michiru could only giggle awkwardly.

"You've got a steep hill to climb," Mahana offered. "First Orihime loved Kurosaki, and now she's falling in love with this Schiffer guy…"

"What," Ulquiorra's deathly flat voice intoned. The girls looked at the forgotten arrancar, startled. Mahana's eyes widened.

"What, what," the girl returned defensively. "I didn't say anything. Nothing at all."

Ulquiorra's eyes narrowed as rage built within him. "Orihime loved Kurosaki?" A dark aura descended upon the group as fingers of pure loathing wrapped around each of the girl's throats. All three were suddenly short of breath.

"No, of course not," Mahana shouted in a shrill voice, her body suddenly very cold and clammy. Looking into Ulquiorra's eyes was like looking into the bottomless oblivion of death. "Kurosaki is _so _not Orihime's type. You must have misunderstood."

Memories flashed before the arrancar. The night of Orihime's capture. The times she mentioned her 'emotionally unavailability' as a reason not to get close to him. The significance of it all was revealed to Ulquiorra. And he knew what he had to do. Immediately, the aura of death retracted, and Ulquiorra's eyes bore a strange new serenity.

Rising from his seat on the lunch bench with a cold determination, Ulquiorra walked away from the terrified group of girls. Mahana raised her voice before Ulquiorra could get too far. "Wh-Where are you going?"

The arrancar looked over his shoulder, eyes cold, calculating, and concealing a burning rage and a deep throbbing ache. "To do what I should have done a long time ago."

* * *

Ichigo, pissed as hell, was on his way home.

What was the point of staying at school any longer? Ulquiorra, the fucking prick, was getting on his nerves. His fucking Hollow was grating on his sanity, clawing joyfully at open wounds. And then next to him in _every fucking class_ was Rukia's empty desk.

_Why don't we just kill the Espada_, a jubilant voice suggested. Ichigo ran his hand over his face, willing the presence to fade. _C'mon, you know you want to_, the voice continued tauntingly. _You can finally get back at that bitch for ditchin' ya_. Shrill laughter shook Ichigo's skull, and he closed his eyes against the pain. The voice was so loud, the Hollow felt so close…

"Kurosaki Ichigo," a deep voice sounded somewhere behind him. Belatedly, Ichigo mustered the strength to turn his paralyzed body around to face Ulquiorra.

"What the fuck do you want now," Ichigo spat through gritted teeth. Ulquiorra looked upon the pathetic specimen with cold resolve. He approached slowly, deliberately. The two stood face to face, just a few feet apart. Ulquiorra raised his fist and delivered a solid punch into Ichigo's jaw that sent him reeling backwards.

Wordlessly, the redhead looked up from the ground into the stone-cold eyes of a killer. In a flash, Ichigo was up again and he put all his weight into a punch. Ulquiorra blocked. They looked into each other's eyes, hatred and pain mixing to the point where all they wanted was to rip each other's throats out.

"The woman is mine," Ulquiorra intoned, eyes just about burning with rage. Ichigo's eyes widened.

"We'll see about that," the Vizard snarled. He kicked the man in the face.

Blows were exchanged. Blood was drawn. Bones were broken. Soon, their mortal shells could no longer contain their simmering fury.

"Bankai," Ichigo shouted. Eyes narrowed, Ulquiorra drew his sword.

* * *

Far away, in the basement of the Twelfth Division's headquarters, some very startling data was coming in. Akon read the reiatsu monitors in disbelief. Was it even possible for a single being to have such an incredible amount of reiatsu? These two beings were thoroughly extraordinary.

The part of Akon that was a shinigami knew that this information needed to be delivered to the Soutaichou as soon as possible. If the former Cuatro Espada was on the loose, even the amazing phenomenon that was Kurosaki Ichigo would need back up.

However, the very small part of Akon that was a just sentient being pitied the arrancar for the inescapable fate to which it was doomed.

* * *

"And we were thinking that the whole apartment could be really low-key," Orihime continued as Tatsuki just listened. "Because, you know Ulquiorra's a really low-key guy. With light beige walls, a tan couch, shaggy off-white carpeting and glass tables. Oh, and we want a new bay window in the front and a glass sliding door for the back entrance. The kitchen would get more light that way, too…"

"Sounds nice," Tatsuki remarked lazily, her cheek rested in her palm. "How are you paying for all this again?"

"Nii-chan left me a lot of money," Orihime sighed, eyes becoming just a little duller. "I think he would have liked Ulquiorra…" The two sat in silence.

Soon, Orihime felt a familiar reiatsu nearby. It was Ulquiorra's reiatsu, his arrancar reiatsu. Her brows furrowed as she tried to reach her senses out to where Ulquiorra was. She thought she detected Ichigo's reiatsu there as well, although it was different somewhat...

"What's going on," Orihime voiced her concern out loud, pulling Tatsuki from her lethargy. "Are… Ulquiorra and Kurosaki-kun… fighting?" Before Tatsuki could so much as widen her eyes in surprise, Orihime had already dashed off towards where she felt their reiatsu. Tatsuki was soon at her heels.

The two ran through the school gates and down the street. Tatsuki could only follow as Orihime, lead by her sixth sense, paved the way. They sprinted through alleyways and boulevards alike as they approached Ulquiorra and Ichigo.

"Wait, what's going on," Tatsuki questioned, more than a little confused.

"I can sense that Ulquiorra and Kurosaki-kun are fighting," Orihime added unhelpfully, her face eerily blank. Up ahead, Orihime saw glimpses of her two friends engaged in mortal combat, swords swinging wildly, Ceros and Getsuga Tenshous thrown around carelessly, as well as the occasional explosion. Karakura Town had become a war-zone.

Tatsuki's eyebrows furrowed. "When did you learn how to do that?" The girl looked down the streets to make sure there were no cars coming. Tatsuki doubted Orihime was paying much attention.

As she looked both ways, Tatsuki caught sight of Uryuu and Yasutora running towards them from behind. They soon caught up, slightly out of breath.

"What's happening," Uryuu asked, voice aloof but urgent. Ahead of them, vibrant flashes of green energy and sharp black crescents were tearing the midday sky.

Tatsuki looked upon the oddly calm expression on Orihime's face, and then back to Uryuu. "Ulquiorra is in _big_ trouble."

* * *

"Sorry, Miss," a uniformed police officer said, voice full of authority. "No passage through this street."

"Please, sir, this is urgent," Orihime implored, looking over the man's shoulder to where Ichigo was currently hovering in the air, panting openly with his hand over the left side of his face. His reiatsu was fluctuating rapidly. Further off, Ulquiorra wasn't in much better condition.

"This is close to Ichigo's house," Tatsuki noted. "Ichigo wouldn't be reckless enough to allow innocents to be hurt, would he?"

"I'm sorry, Miss," the officer repeated, "but there are injured people here, and we are conducting an ongoing investigation."

Orihime saw her chance. "My brother lives in this area, could it be him who was injured?" The man looked at the redhead before him.

"What is your brother's name," the officer asked.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, he's got red hair, like me," Orihime supplied. The man hesitated for just a moment, before deciding that the teenager before him was sincere. She looked harmless enough, and how many people in Japan had natural red hair?

"Your assumption was correct," the officer revealed. "Your brother and another suspect who was not carrying an ID were found in critical condition fifteen minutes ago. Both are on ambulances headed for Karakura Hospital." Orihime bowed before the officer and thanked him before turning back to join her friends.

Out of earshot of the police officer, Orihime started pouting. "It serves them right," she said as she crossed her arms cutely. "I _told_ Ulquiorra not to cause trouble."

"Inoue-san," Uryuu started carefully, fingers eagerly brushing his Quincy Cross. "Are you still intent on protecting Ulquiorra?"

Orihime took one look at Uryuu and started waving her hands before her, eyes wide. "Ishida-kun, please calm down," the girl appeased. "I'll make sure Ulquiorra _never_ does anything like this again." With those words, Orihime's eyes narrowed menacingly. The gesture was so out of character however, that Tatsuki had to stifle a laugh.

Still, Orihime was dead set. She looked to each side, assessing her surroundings, before sneaking into the backyard of the house in front of her, her friends at her heels. From there, she hopped another fence over the backyard next door, and then to the yard next to that one, drawing closer and closer to the battlefield.

* * *

"I'm never going to let you have her," Ichigo asserted, determined eyes full of a rage that bordered on the insane. His mask had been reduced to cover only one eye, and even that was crumbling. Control of his body was shifting between Ichigo and his Hollow every few minutes. Even now, he could hear the Hollow in his head, shouting at him, taunting him, threatening to overturn him again at any moment.

"Strong words coming from a dead man," Ulquiorra stated, voice deadly and flat. He raised his sword with his heavily-injured right arm. This would be the final exchange. "Realize that this is your own fault. If you had cared for her the way she deserved to be, none of this would have happened. Your own indifference towards her has pushed her into my arms."

Something in Ichigo snapped. The remnant of the Hollow mask fell, and his mind blew wide open. The inside came out. The two Ichigos were united under the same goal: the utter destruction of Ulquiorra Schiffer.

"She loved you. I therefore cannot allow you to exist," Ulquiorra said, simple words that didn't scratch the surface of the gravity of his feelings of jealousy, pain, and betrayal. Ulquiorra stopped himself from continuing however, when he saw Ichigo's shoulders shake. A moment later, he was laughing hysterically, eyes endless black and gold.

Suddenly, the monster stopped, and gazed condescendingly at Ulquiorra with a wide, joyous grin. "I'm going to cut you to pieces," the being said simply before disappearing.

Ulquiorra was just able to block the creature's attack from behind. The insane laughing started again as the being took Zangetsu by the cloth and swung it in a wide circle. Ulquiorra, unfazed, prepared himself for the attack.

Ichigo projected the sword towards Ulquiorra's heart. Ulquiorra disappeared, and shot a Cero from behind. Ichigo's hand reached for his throat. He threw him forcefully to the ground, destroying a tree house in the process.

A triumphant, although exhausted, Ichigo towered over the fallen arrancar. A wide grin split his face as he bent down to be at eye-level with the stoic Ulquiorra. He licked his lips. "I'm going to eat you now." Ulquiorra, faster than lighting, struck him in the face with his left hand. The Hollow, no longer smiling, wiped the blood from his mouth. A jab. A kick. Both men panted. They were at their limits.

As the two mortal enemies glared each other down, weighing their options and waiting for an opening, a bright light shone before them. Ichigo couldn't help but be distracted.

A dark figure, holding a pure white sword emerged from the brilliant light. "Ru-Rukia…?"

* * *

"The second meeting in one day," Captain Kurotsuchi complained bitterly. "Don't they realize that I am _very_ busy."

"The news came from yer division, ya can't complain about it," Captain Zaraki replied. "'Sides, the less time you're out there kidnapping my men, the better."

"I'm insulted that you would continue to make such an accusation," Captain Kurotsuchi said with a sly smile. Captain Zaraki growled, his one visible eye narrowing. Captain Hitsugaya silently crossed his arms in annoyance.

"Both of you shut up," Captain Soi Fong intoned. "The barrier's already been installed, so don't bring up this issue again."

"What sort of emergency caused the Soutaichou to react so boldly," Captain Ukitake wondered. Captain Kyouraku gazed at him from beneath his straw hat.

"Isn't it obvious," the man said. "It must be that Cuatro Espada."

"In other words," Captain Kurotsuchi intruded. "Captain Kuchiki's promise that Ulquiorra would be of no threat turned out to be just empty words after all." Said Captain did not dignify the thinly-veiled reproach with an answer.

Captain Zaraki sighed in exasperation. "I really should have killed that guy when I had the chance, instead of wasting all this time. I'll ask the Old Man if I can go down to the Material World."

"You will do no such thing," Captain Kuchiki said in a bristle. The two Captains made eye contact.

"You trying to take my kill, Kuchiki," Captain Zaraki goaded with a blood-thirsty grin. "Maybe we should decide this the old-fashioned way." Byakuya's eyes narrowed threateningly.

"Wait, I think I know where Captain Kuchiki is coming from," Captain Ukitake intervened before a brawl broke out. "We don't want to risk fighting Ulquiorra if it can be helped."

"Why not," Captain Zaraki replied, as if such a question was purely rhetorical. Captain Ukitake sighed. Big swords, bigger egos, and concepts such as logic did not mix well. Just then, the front door to the meeting room swung open. Commander Yamamoto strode in, staff in hand. Sombrely, he took his seat. His hard eyes focused on the Captains before him.

"The Twelfth Division has reported," the Soutaichou announced, "that former Forth Espada, Ulquiorra Schiffer, and shinigami Kurosaki Ichigo are in battle." Faces overcome by shock soon hardened. "Despite Captain Kuchiki's eloquent arguments to the contrary, the arrancar is certainly dangerous. His reiatsu exceeds that of a Captain, and he has not yet even released." The ancient shinigami paused, waiting for some reaction.

"I continue to believe that the arrancar is of no threat," Captain Kuchiki supplied.

"Bullshit," Captain Zaraki scoffed. "He's an Espada, of course he's a threat. He'd skewer you in a minute."

"What do you mean to imply," Captain Kuchiki returned, his pride not allowing him to drop it.

"Pretty slow, aren't cha," Captain Zaraki said around a maniacal grin. Byakuya was about to respond, but the Soutaichou struck the floor with the end of his staff.

"Although I understand Captain Ukitake and Captain Kuchiki's point," the Commander continued, "I cannot stand idly by and allow this kind of activity to continue. It seems that, given Kurosaki Ichigo's reiatsu fluctuations, neither will emerge from the battle victorious. I will send an envoy to the Material world to monitor the arrancar and determine whether or not he needs to be terminated.

"I will choose a Captain who has proven themselves capable of battling the arrancar effectively. A Captain of great prestige who is level-headed and objective."

Captain Kyouraku smiled. "And, most importantly, someone who knows the terrain." All eyes turned to Hitsugaya Toushiro, who saw this coming a mile away and was frowning deeply.

"Captain Hitsugaya," the Soutaichou beckoned. "You shall go to the Material World and observe the arrancar surreptitiously. You will report back to me in three days with a full report."

Toushiro's frown grew even more pronounced. "With all due respect, Yamamoto-soutaichou, wouldn't a stealth operation be better handled by the Stealth Divisions?"

"Captain Soi Fong will be occupied with domestic issues," the Commander returned without hesitation. "This is your mission, you may leave immediately."

The child prodigy held back a sigh. "Yes, sir," Captain Hitsugaya said with a bow.

With those words, Toushiro walked out of the room, feeling very much like the group bitch.

* * *

"Ru-Rukia," Ichigo rasped in amazement. Thank High Heaven, she was okay. In the eyes of the bloodied and battered soldier, she was an angel. Like it were a miracle, all his pain, all his anger, dissolved in an instant. He could just stare at the celestial figure approaching him, the image of serenity.

Rukia kicked Ichigo solidly in the face, and he flew backwards into the trunk of a tree. "I'm gone for a couple of hours and look at what you do, idiot," the petite shinigami yelled, returning her sword to its sheath. "Do you have any idea how much work it'll be to replace the memories of everyone who witnessed your stupidity?!"

"It wasn't my fault," Ichigo defied fiercely, while pointing angrily at Ulquiorra, who was watching the scene with curious eyes. "He started it!"

"Oh, that's real mature, Ichigo," Rukia scolded, arms crossed menacingly.

"Like you can talk," Ichigo shouted back, glaring angrily. "What the hell would make you want to disappear like that?!"

"Aren't I allowed to go back home," Rukia yelled back, just as angry. "I'm still a shinigami, you know."

"What was so important that you had to go back _in the middle of the night_," Ichigo shot back.

"Important business," Rukia returned fiercely, "that is of no concern to you!" By now they were face to face, both inching closer in an attempt to intimidate the other.

"Was it about your precious Ulquiorra," Ichigo questioned, blood boiling. Confusion shot through Rukia's eyes.

"Of course it was about Ulquiorra," Rukia shouted. "Soul Society needed to know about his warni–"

"Oh, so _Soul Society_ needs to know," Ichigo shouted back, not even trying to think straight anymore. "You tell Byakuya and Renji, but you won't tell me, is that it?"

"I was going to tell you," Rukia countered, "before you started going on a rampage!"

"Well, forget it," Ichigo snapped. "I already know."

Rukia's eyebrow rose, the volume of her voice dropping a notch. When did he find out about the new King of Las Noches? "Really?"

"Yah, I mean, what, were you expecting me to be _angry_ about it," Ichigo demanded, still very angry. "I mean, if you want to go chasing after some _fucking arrancar bastard_ –"

"Ichigo, what are you talking about," Rukia interrogated. She had totally lost him.

A vein popped on Ichigo's forehead as he shouted out his accusation. "You like Ulquiorra, don't you?!"

Rukia's mouth fell open in shock. "Wha –"

"Did you expect me not to notice?! I'm not that dumb, Rukia," Ichigo fumed. "You were the one who wouldn't let us kick his ass, and you even asked me if I'd approve of –"

Another solid kick to his gut and Ichigo doubled over in pain. Rukia paused a moment, soaking in what she had just heard with wide eyes. She looked down at an angry, embarrassed, indignant Ichigo. "You think that I like Ulquiorra?"

"Don't you," Ichigo returned, eyes looking up at her with an intensity Rukia hadn't seen in a long time.

"Of course not," Rukia exclaimed, holding back laughter. "Why would you think that I'd like Ulquiorra of all people?!"

"You," Ichigo started, the mocking look on Rukia's face making him uncomfortable. "You were the one who said we shouldn't fight him."

"Because if you fought him, not only would he destroy you," Rukia explained simply, "but you'd be putting Inoue in a tough spot. And don't tell me that's not true. Look at how bloodied up you are, and he hasn't even released yet."

"But," Ichigo continued, "you also said that Ulquiorra would never hurt you…"

Rukia raised an eyebrow at his feeble justification. "Because he wouldn't. Ulquiorra knows that if he hurt anyone, especially a noble shinigami, Soul Society would come after him, and he'd have to leave Inoue and run away."

"Well," Ichigo tried again, "you looked really sad when you asked me about what I thought about Ulquiorra and Inoue."

Rukia hesitated. "I was sad for a different reason. I'm glad that Inoue has found someone, even if it _is_ an arrancar." _I'm not really in the position to be making judgements after all…_

Ichigo looked baffled. "Why were you so sad then?" Rukia took a deep breath; she had to do this.

"Because when I asked you what I meant to you," Rukia said, voice and eyes raw in their sincerity, "you only said that I was an important nakama." Ichigo's eyes widened in shock.

"What do you mean, Rukia?" He didn't even realize that he was whispering.

"Ichigo," Rukia continued, "the truth is that I am in love with you." She forced herself to keep looking him in the eye, even as his face contorted in shock.

He didn't know how he felt. Nothing got past the shock. He grasped for words. "…Really?" Rukia rolled her eyes.

"Really, Ichigo," she said as she bent down on her knees to be eyelevel with him. Ichigo watched her with eyes wide like saucers. Her heart was beating like crazy, but she ran her fingers through his pumpkin orange hair and pressed her lips to his.

The reaction was instantaneous. His bloody arms encircled her greedily and one hand at the back of her neck pushed her closer to him. Not to be outdone, Rukia opened her mouth and slipped a tongue out to lick his lips. He responded by taking her tongue into his mouth, sucking it roughly. Rukia's hand slid between the folds of his shirt, running covetously over his chest.

With that, Ichigo fainted. Rukia pulled back, and discovered that she was covered with Ichigo's blood. She smiled, and wiped the crimson from her lips before the others arrived.

On cue, Orihime tripped over the high fence of shrubbery, landing squarely on her bottom.

"Owie…" Orihime mumbled as she rubbed her bottom.

"Are you okay, Inoue-san," she heard Uryuu shout from above her. Tatsuki had also made quick work of the barrier, and landed lithely next to Orihime.

"I'm fine," Orihime returned, as she caught sight of Ulquiorra sitting against the wall of an out-of-ground swimming pool. A few meters away, Rukia stood beside an unconscious Ichigo slouched against the trunk of a pine tree.

"Hi, Kuchiki-san," Orihime smiled gleefully, walking over to where her friend was. "How's the weather in Soul Society?"

"Sunny, as usual," Rukia replied with a smile. Damn, Orihime looked pissed. The healer called out her fairies, and surrounded Ichigo within her rejection barrier. That done, she turned to Ulquiorra, eyes hardened by determination.

Orihime stood in front of the heavily-injured Ulquiorra, arms crossed. She was demanding an explanation. He looked up at her, but there was something different in his emerald green eyes.

"You loved him," Ulquiorra said simply, voice a pained murmur. "You _loved_ him." Orihime's eyes softened as she bent down in front of Ulquiorra. Tatsuki held the protective Uryuu back from approaching the two.

"Is that what this is about," Orihime asked softly. Ulquiorra looked away. She took his hand.

"You would be better off with him," Ulquiorra intoned. "Although I think that that option is closed to you now." Orihime raised an eyebrow, and then followed Ulquiorra's gaze to the fallen Ichigo and the bloodied Rukia.

"Oh," Orihime said simply. What she saw wasn't very surprising, what was surprising was what she felt.

"Orihime, is my affection for you unrequited?" Orihime turned towards Ulquiorra, surprise colouring her face. She didn't know what to say.

"I don't know yet," she answered truthfully.

"I need an answer," Ulquiorra said seriously.

Orihime smacked Ulquiorra's forehead, effectively dispelling the serious atmosphere. "After what you did last night, and what you did to Kurosaki-kun, I think you can wait a little longer," she said evilly with a brilliant smile. "Now I'm going to go check on Kurosaki-kun, try not to move too much." He watched with vacant eyes as she walked away.

"She sure showed you," Tatsuki commented offhandedly, leaning against the side of the swimming pool.

"She sure did," Ulquiorra agreed, closing his eyes in resignation. For how much longer would he be left in limbo like this?

"I wouldn't worry too much, though," Tatsuki supplied casually. Ulquiorra looked up at her. "It takes most people weeks, if not months, to fall out of love and in love again." She shrugged. "Just give it some time. Orihime will realize it soon."

Ulquiorra gazed at Tatsuki in utter shock. Was this girl actually siding with him?

Evidently, it wasn't difficult to read the incredulity on Ulquiorra's face. Tatsuki smirked. "Something you've got to know about love, Ulquiorra, is that it isn't shared only between lovers."

* * *

Orihime, Yasutora, Tatsuki and Uryuu, as well as the healed Ulquiorra and Ichigo, arrived in front of Karakura hospital.

"This is never going to work," Tatsuki said dully.

"What are you talking about, Tatsuki-chan," Orihime chided, an exuberant smile on her face. In her hand, she held one of Rukia's Memory-Switchers. "This plan is fool-proof!"

"I am inclined to agree with Arisawa Tatsuki," Ulquiorra intoned.

"You can just say Arisawa, Ulquiorra," Orihime supplied helpfully.

"…Arisawa."

"Good!"

"Well, let's get on with it, then," Uryuu said with a sigh. If this harebrained scheme got him thrown in jail, he would _not_ be happy…

* * *

"Nii-chan," Orihime screamed in a perfect imitation of a grieving little sister. "Nii-chan, why?!"

"Shh, Kurosaki-san," Yasutora rumbled comfortingly, a kind hand on Orihime's shoulder. "Your brother is going to be alright."

"Are you a relative of Kurosaki Ichigo," the secretary asked gently from beyond the glass window. Orihime, tears streaming freely down her face, nodded. "You can go into the ER to see your brother. I just need to see some ID." Orihime shuffled through her pockets.

"I... I can't find it," Orihime sobbed. "Wait, it's in my schoolbag… What happened to my school bag?"

"I think you left it at school, Orihime," Tatsuki said gently. Orihime's hands covered her tear-streaked face. "Oh no…"

"I'm sorry, Miss," the secretary said consolingly. "I can't allow you in unless I see some ID. It's the law."

"No, I understand, I understand…" Orihime walked away, shoulder's slouched, to sit on a chair in the large waiting room.

Yasutora turned back to the secretary, leaning over the counter. "Please, let her in. Her brother is all that she has left."

The secretary frowned. "I'm sorry, sir."

Just then, the sliding front door opened to a teenager in a grey uniform and glasses grasping his stomach in obvious pain. Tatsuki ran over to him, slinging his arm over her shoulder for support. "Ishida, what's wrong." The woman led him over to the front desk. He was panting.

"I think… It's my appendix," Uryuu got out through gritted teeth.

The secretary got up from her seat, and ran quickly out to fetch a doctor. Tatsuki gave a thumbs up, which both Yasutora and Orihime returned before three nurses and a stretcher exited the emergency room.

The nurses made quick work of getting Uryuu set up on the stretcher, and quickly led him towards the door of the ER room. In a heart-wrenching display of emotion, Orihime shouted after him. "Ishida-kun!" She ran after him, through the swinging door with the automatic lock.

"Orihime," Tatsuki called, while going after her best friend. Yasutora followed the two silently.

The secretary, who had started getting up from her seat, decided against throwing out the teenagers. Instead, she answered the ringing phone.

Immediately inside the ER, Orihime extracted the Chappy-themed Memory-Switcher from her pocket and set it off in front of the unsuspecting nurses. Yasutora and Tatsuki caught them as they fell unconscious, setting them gently against the fold-down seats. Meanwhile, Uryuu rose from the stretcher, folded it up, and stashed it in a nearby supply closet.

"We're ready when you guys are," Ichigo, clad in torn bloody shinigami robes, said from the end of the hall, where his and Ulquiorra's bodies were currently being tested for trauma.

"Just one more thing," Orihime threw back, as she opened the door to the secretary's office. The woman turned around questioningly, only to be faced with the Chappy Memory-Switcher. Poof. Next, Orihime shuffled through the papers on the secretary's desk, and pocketed all the forms that had Ichigo's name on it.

"All done," Orihime called, and Ichigo disappeared into the CT scan room.

"So we're meeting at Ichigo's house, right," Tatsuki confirmed, Uryuu at her side.

"Yup, even if Ichigo faints, I won't get lost with Sado-kun with me," Orihime assured. "See you soon!"

With those words, Yasutora and Orihime dashed towards the CT room, busted open the door, and disappeared inside.

Tatsuki looked at Uryuu, and the two nodded. They busted into the closest room, shocking everyone inside.

"Help," Tatsuki shouted, "the secretary and the nurses! They've fainted!" The doctors looked at each other.

"Takata, go see what's going on," one senior doctor shouted.

"I'm busy, this patient's in critical condition," the doctor responded.

Their conscious cleared, Tatsuki and Uryuu left the doctors to figure themselves out and ran out the front entrance, towards Ichigo's house.

Meanwhile, Orihime and Yasutora had infiltrated the CT scan room. Ulquiorra and Ichigo entered their bodies, immediately regaining consciousness.

"Hey, you're not allowed in here," one doctor shouted. The next moment, he and all the technicians were unconscious on the floor.

"I feel a little guilty about rendering all these ER doctors unconscious," Orihime voiced as Ulquiorra and Ichigo stood up and tried to regain movement in their extremities.

"Fuck, man," Ichigo cursed. "Look how many ribs you broke!"

"Feel fortunate that they did not puncture your lung," Ulquiorra returned, "And shut up." Ichigo scowled before a realization dawned upon him.

"You're just pissed that Rukia…" Ichigo drifted off. "Wait, do you like Rukia?"

Ulquiorra gazed at Ichigo with vacant angry eyes. "No." Ichigo's brow furrowed.

"Than what did you mean when you said 'the woman's mine'?" Orihime blushed and Ulquiorra just glared.

"We had better go," Orihime changed the subject. "Tatsuki-chan and Ishida-kun are probably already half-way to Kurosaki-kun's house."

The group exited the ER from the ambulance entrance, and made their way to the Kurosaki Clinic.

* * *

"Hey, old man," Tatsuki greeted from within the clinic. "Can I borrow your shinigami phone?"

Isshin's eyes widened in surprise as he reached into his lab coat's pocket. "Tatsuki-chan, I didn't know you knew about shinigami," the man noted, handing the phone over.

Tatsuki dialled the number written on her hand. "I do now," she said with a smile. Rukia answered the phone.

"The hospital cleared," Rukia asked.

"All cleared on our side," Tatsuki specified. "Orihime's team hasn't gotten here yet. How about on your side?"

Tatsuki heard Rukia huff in frustration. "It was easy enough the follow the police's paper trail, but the pedestrians have already scattered. I'm just going to switch the memories of everyone who lives on that block."

"Alright," Tatsuki said with a nod. "I'll call back when Ichigo and Ulquiorra are back."

"Thanks," Rukia replied. "I just hope this is the extent of our damage control."

"I hope so, too," Tatsuki agreed. "You wouldn't want those shinigami guys getting involved. See you soon."

"Bye." Tatsuki hung up the phone, and returned it to Isshin.

"What's going on, Tatsuki-chan" the father asked, abruptly worried.

Tatsuki sighed. "Ichigo and Ulquiorra beat each other up, got the police involved, ended up in the hospital, waged bloody battle, tracked down their bodies, switched the memories of half the ER staffers, busting out of the hospital and are now on their way here."

It took a moment for Isshin to absorb that. "Oh."

* * *

The reunited group of friends were gathered in Ichigo's backyard, around a flaming garbage can. Once the flames had reached a healthy height, Orihime emptied her pockets into the fire, destroying all evidence of Ichigo's stay at the ER. Likewise, Rukia set to flames all the police documents tied to Ichigo and Ulquiorra, effectively making like the whole thing never happened.

"I hope you two have learnt your lesson," Orihime said.

Solemnly, Ulquiorra and Ichigo nodded, eyes on the flame.


	15. Bond

Hello, everyone! I had trouble writing this one, for some reason. Don't feel uncomfortable telling me it sucks. On another note:

Because there has been a call for the return of fluff… Happy New Year.

Enjoy it while it lasts *evil witchy cackle*

* * *

"Yo," Tatsuki greeted as she met up with Uryuu in the hallway. He, like her, was on his way to Math, their second-to-last class of the day. He stopped, slightly startled that she chose to address him, and waited for her to catch up to him.

"Hello, Arisawa," Uryuu greeted politely.

"I need your help for something, Ishida," Tatsuki stated, taking out her cell phone. She flipped it open. "Do you have a cell? I need to be able to reach you."

Uryuu just barely blushed. "Why?" Tatsuki smiled.

"You and I, Ishida," she said conspiratorially, "have a common goal. I suggest a partnership."

* * *

Back in his office in the Tenth Division, Toushiro was organizing the endless forms and requests cluttering his desk. If he was going to be gone for three days, he would again have to delegate the administration of his division to his third and fourth seats. He wasn't exactly happy about this, because, to be quite honest, Toushiro hardly knew them. The young Captain wasn't exactly the type to be chatting with his subordinates in the cafeteria, and it didn't help that the majority of his division was afraid of him.

Rangiku was always the office's people person. She knew all of the seated officers personally, having gone drinking with them so often, and was regarded with awe by her inferiors. It was a great relationship that Rangiku had built with her division; outside of work, she was their friend, admired as much for her high alcohol tolerance as for her humour and force of personality. At work, they followed her with the utmost conviction and trust in her wisdom and abilities.

Rangiku was like family to Toushiro. He cared more deeply for Rangiku than he would ever admit. She was the kind of cheerful, annoying, kind-hearted person that you couldn't help but love. And it was deeply unfair what happened to her.

In the final battle against Aizen, Rangiku hadn't lost just one important person, she lost two. She lost in the most tragic way Gin, who she cared for more than _she_ would ever admit aloud, and she lost Izuru, an important friend. Her grief was matched only by Momo's, who also mourned the loss of her Captain, or, at least, the illusion that was her Captain, and her long-time friend Izuru.

Toushiro's face twisted into a pained snarl. Why was it that, of all the Captains, _he_ had to be chosen to go on this mission? How could he bring himself to leave both Rangiku and Momo, the two people he cared for more than anyone else, alone in their time of need?

Questioning the Commander's orders was a rare event for him. Toushiro was usually an excellent soldier. The Soutaichou hadn't been exaggerating in his praises. When the ryoka had invaded Soul Society, he and Unohana had been the only ones to investigate the situation critically. In the current situation, judgement and critical thinking were imperative in determining the threat level posed by the rogue Espada. These were capabilities that he had demonstrated.

So although Toushiro knew that Soul Society needed him now, he felt torn. Three days on a stealth mission was a lot of time, and it would give him a lot of time to worry. Rangiku was deep in grief and Momo was struggling out of the chains of hypnosis. Although both women were strong, Toushiro still felt the need to care for them, just as they had cared for him in so many ways over so many years.

The young Captain's feet brought him to the doorstep of Rangiku's room, which stood close to his own in the west wing of the Main Administrative building.

Rangiku, sensing her Captain's reiatsu, came to the door. She slid it open half-way, and looked upon Toushiro's blank face with wide eyes.

"What's up, Captain," she said, doing her best to act normally.

"I've been assigned a mission to the Material World," Toushiro responded. "I'll be back in three days."

"I'm coming with you," Rangiku said, surprising him.

"Why," he asked in astonishment. He immediately regretted not giving her a direct 'no'.

"If they're sending a Captain," Rangiku said logically. "It must have something to do with the Espada. I have to make sure Orihime-chan is okay."

Toushiro's eyes softened, and he broke eye contact. That was his Rangiku; still able to care so deeply even in the face of her own grief. "It's a stealth operation, I have to go alone." Rangiku visibly sunk. The young Captain heaved an internal sigh. "I hear that Inoue is already good friends with the Espada." Rangiku's eyes widened.

"Really," she asked, just a little astonished. Not just at her Captain's words, but that he was revealing confidential information.

"Yea," Toushiro said, "it seems the Espada is quite fond of her. He even went so far as to challenge Kurosaki." Rangiku stared at her Captain with wide eyes, and then, after a moment, a relieved smile bloomed across her face. She turned back into her room.

"Wait here a sec, Capt'n," she called over her shoulder. Toushiro allowed himself a private smile. True to her word, Rangiku was back in a jiffy, holding in her hands a CD. She held it out to her Captain.

"Since you're going to be in the Material World," Rangiku asked, in her most cutesy, pleading voice, "do you think you can return this to Orihime-chan for me?" Toushiro took the CD in his hands, frustration flooding him again. He would rather not have remembered the events of _that_ night, the night after Orihime was discovered missing.

"So you're going to return this after all," Toushiro noted.

Rangiku smiled. "I promised, didn't I?"

* * *

"You are still angry at me, aren't you," Ulquiorra asked bluntly. He and Orihime, hand in hand, were on their way back to school.

"Yes, I am," Orihime replied, face still eerily blank. Realizing something, she amended. "Very." Ulquiorra continued to gaze at her a moment.

"You do not look very angry," he noted. Orihime's mouth twitched upward in response.

"I don't look angry, but you know I still must be," Orihime said with a sly smile. "Do you know why that is?" Ulquiorra looked forward, pointedly ignoring the question.

"It's because you know you did wrong, Ulquiorra," Orihime answered her own question. "You know that there was a better way."

They walked a while longer in silence. Leaves all shades of red and orange fluttered around in the autumn wind. The sky was a deep blue, crisp and far away.

Suddenly, Ulquiorra broke the silence. "I will make it up to you." Orihime looked up at him tentatively, and he gazed back at her. They watched each other for a long moment before Orihime sighed.

"I'm not as fragile as you think I am," she said solemnly. "It's been a long time coming." Ulquiorra held her hand a little more tightly, a gesture he hoped was supportive. She smiled, just a little sadness in her eyes.

"You know," Orihime started again, trying to be more cheerful. "We've still got a full twenty minutes before next class, why don't we do something fun!" Suspicion crept into Ulquiorra's eyes.

_A few minutes later…_

"Ah!" Orihime shouted in exhilaration, wind in her hair. "Harder, Ulquiorra!"

"I do not want you to be hurt," Ulquiorra rebuked sternly for the third time.

"C'mon," Orihime pleaded. "Push harder! Pretty please, Ulquiorra, pretty please with a cherry on top?" Ulquiorra withheld a sigh. He pushed harder. Orihime flew off the swing, landing squarely on her bottom.

"Owie," she whined cutely, rubbing her aching behind for the second time that day. "Too hard…" Ulquiorra came up behind her.

"I told you that you would be hurt," Ulquiorra lectured. "I do not understand why you insist on taking such unnecessary risks with your fragile human shell. I thought I had made it clear that you were not to participate in destr-" Ulquiorra was interrupted by a fist-full of leaves thrown to his face. Swiping away the offending leaves, Ulquiorra glowered down at the giggling Orihime.

"You talk too much," Orihime teased. "And I don't belong to you."

Ulquiorra crouched down just in front of the redhead, to be at eyelevel. "Yes, you do. I won Hide-and-Go-Seek-in-the-Dark." Orihime laughed, hands on her ankles and leaning forward.

"That's because you cheated," Orihime reminded matter-of-factly, her pointer finger rising in the air. "And _because_ you cheated, the rules dictate that I am the true winner." Ulquiorra's brow furrowed.

"Therefore," Orihime concluded, "_You_ belong to _me_." Ulquiorra just stared for a few moments.

"Ridiculous," he concluded.

"It's the truth," Orihime assured, smiling in amusement. "It's the way things work here."

Ulquiorra considered that a moment, trying his best not to be distracted by Orihime's brilliant smile. He failed. "Really?"

"Yes," she exclaimed. "I _definitely_ wear the pants!" Ulquiorra frowned.

"You are wearing a skirt." Something he shouldn't have paid attention to, because now he felt rather preoccupied with how the grey skirt had ridden up. Such full, luscious, milky…

"It's figurative, Ulquiorra, it means that I'm the one who calls the shots in our relationship!" Orihime smiled, her tender face taking on a dreamy look. "You have to make me hot chocolate when I want some, and run the water for me, and give me foot rubs…"

Orihime paused as Ulquiorra leaned in even closer to her, his knees falling to each side of her. Slowly, with a predatory look in his eyes, he brought his hands down to the ground to each side of the girl's body. Orihime leaned back slowly to avoid contact with him. "Ulquiorra, what are you doing?"

Orihime's back made contact with the ground. Ulquiorra hovered over her. "Ulquiorra," she murmured, a blush blooming over her cheeks. Ulquiorra gently brought his lips to Orihime's. He kissed her softly again and again, on and around her lips. "Ulquiorra, what are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing," he returned distractedly.

"I-I don't think that this is a good idea," Orihime stuttered.

"It's your own fault," Ulquiorra asserted, "for being so beautiful."

Ulquiorra worked his way down her neck. "Just because you think I'm pretty, doesn't mean you sho-"

"You are not just pretty," Ulquiorra intoned. "Everything about you… glows…" He grasped for words, unsure of what he was trying to explain. "When I am with you, it is as if… as if you are all that exists. Time becomes a blur… And I am overcome with the desire to… hold you…" He looked up to see that Orihime was blushing deeply.

"Ulquiorra…" Orihime murmured, fondness and sympathy coating her voice. They gazed deeply into each other's eyes for a long moment. It was incredible how the two of them, while still being so different, could communicate so fully without a word. They fell into each other's eyes, and Orihime was drawn into his world again. A world where the songbirds fluttered around them singing melodies of love and peace. The resounding voices of angels enveloped them in their warm embrace. The light of heaven shone down in a beam of celestial radiance upon the two of them, as if their unconditional love was a beauty praised even in realm of the Gods.

In the time it took for Orihime to blink, Ulquiorra's head was thrown into the ground by the force of an acorn. Orihime's dreamland dissolved before her eyes, and she swiftly found the source of the commotion. Tatsuki, in all her enraged glory, stood a few paces away, arms crossed rebelliously. The songbirds twittered away.

"I thought we said we were going to meet in Math class," Tatsuki said dryly, watching her best friend redden further.

"Well, by the time we got here, there was only ten minutes till the end of class…" Orihime defended, playing innocently with her index fingers. Meanwhile, Ulquiorra's head rose from the small crater he had found himself in and turned towards Tatsuki. His glower was on in full force.

Tatsuki rolled her eyes. "C'mon, just one class left, and then you guys can be all over each other in the privacy of your own home."

* * *

Mahana, face aglow with the joy of gossip, skipped over to where her friends sat in their last class of the day. "Yo, guys, you'll never guess what happened," she all but gushed.

"Schiffer and Kurosaki fought," Ryo answered, not even bothering to soften the blow on her friend's enthusiasm by phrasing it as a question.

Mahana visibly deflated. "How did you know? Yuki _just_ overheard Kuchiki-san mentioning it!"

"Well, given what you guys told me happened at lunch," Ryo answered, not bothering to look up from her book. "It's pretty obvious, isn't it?" Mahana looked to Michiru for support.

"Well," the girl started diplomatically, "he _did_ look pretty angry, and he _did_ say he was going to find Kurosaki…"

Mahana's gaze turned to Chizuru, who just shook her head. Before the matter could be discussed further, however, the orange-haired topic of discussion strode into the room, Rukia at his side.

"Why aren't you on Ulquiorra's case about this, anyway," Ichigo shouted. "It's _his_ fault."

"Ulquiorra isn't my responsibility, he's Inoue's," Rukia returned. "_I'm_ the one who's supposed to make sure _you_ aren't doing anything stupid!"

"What," Ichigo exclaimed incredulously. "Who says I gotta do what you say?"

"I do," she shot back. "Now hand me a tissue." Ichigo immediately handed Rukia a tissue from the box on the sensei's desk. Rukia took it with a smug, mocking smile, and Ichigo, realizing what he was doing, cussed loudly. Rukia just laughed and took her seat. Ichigo sat beside her, scowling openly.

"Spoilt little shinigami princess," Ichigo muttered under his breath. Rukia, seasoned soldier as she was, tactfully stuck her tongue out at the young Vizard. The gesture seemed to remind him of something, as his eyes widened in realization.

"Rukia…" The petite shinigami looked up at her comrade's beckoning, and, seeing the look in his chocolate brown eyes, understood what he was recalling. "What… was that?"

Rukia all but snorted. "It _would_ have been a kiss, if you hadn't fainted half way through. Of course, I expected that you would be inexperienced, but I never would have imagined that you'd be _quite_ so innocent."

Ichigo spluttered in embarrassment. "Don't flatter yourself! I fainted from blood loss! Blood loss!"

Rukia smiled at him mockingly, just a little patronizing. "That's what they all say."

Ichigo, embarrassed and frustrated, eyed his long-time friend, his nakama. As moments passed, his eyes softened. "What are we… now?" Rukia smiled.

"Isn't it obvious," she asked nonchalantly. "The same as always." It was pretty much impossible to be any closer, emotionally or spiritually, than they already were. As for the physical aspect, Rukia would have to see what she could get away with…

Soon, another happy pair entered the classroom. Orihime and Tatsuki came in, talking about everything and nothing. Ulquiorra followed sullenly behind them, still glowering intensely at Tatsuki's back. The relaxed girls approached their girlfriends.

"What's up," Tatsuki asked as way of greeting. With the exception of Ryo, who was still reading, the girls looked at Tatsuki as if she were insane, pure terror bleeding from their eyes. Chizuru rose dramatically from her seat.

"Why are you letting that _lunatic_ anywhere near Hime-chan," the redhead demanded, pointing accusingly at the impassive Ulquiorra.

"That's not nice, Chizuru-chan," Orihime defended. "Ulquiorra isn't a lunatic!"

"He's crazy obsessive," Chizuru shouted, grabbing Orihime by the waist and pulling her into a protective embrace. "Stay away from my Hime-chan, you filthy man!"

Surprisingly, Ulquiorra only stared. For a long moment, he just stared at Chizuru, whose arms wrapped protectively and affectionately around Orihime. A deathly silence fell upon the group.

"Do you love Orihime," Ulquiorra asked, slowly, carefully.

"You're damn right I do," Chizuru fired back. "Hime-chan is my one and only!" Another silent moment slipped by.

"I see," Ulquiorra finally replied. He removed his hand from his pocket, and balled it into a fist.

At the same moment, both Tatsuki and Orihime jumped Ulquiorra in Chizuru's defence. "What the hell do you think you're doing," Tatsuki shouted, incredulous, holding his arm in place.

"You can't hit a girl," Orihime huffed, hands on her hips, a human shield between Ulquiorra and Chizuru. Her brow furrowed, however, as images of Rangiku, Yoruichi, Sui Feng, Halibel, and, with a shudder, Unohana surfaced in her mind. "Well, you can't hit _human_ women," Orihime amended. But then she remembered Tatsuki, and herself for that matter. And that's when she got confused. "Umm… wait…"

Tatsuki rolled her eyes. "You can't hit Chizuru," the karate champ declared, before turning towards the still-confused Orihime. "How's that?"

"That's alright for now, I guess," Orihime offered distractedly, looking contemplative. Abruptly, she let out a giggle, and pulled Tatsuki back off Ulquiorra.

"Why not," Ulquiorra intoned, frowning at Orihime, who was putting on her best one-lesson-at-a-time face.

"Because, Ulquiorra," Orihime reasoned, with a voice one might use when speaking to a misbehaving child. "It isn't nice to hit people that did nothing to you."

Ulquiorra, however, was quick to rebut this. "She isn't allowed to touch you. I was only coming to your defence."

"I don't need you to defend me against Chizuru-chan, Ulquiorra," Orihime continued patiently. "She's my friend, she doesn't mean any harm."

"Unlike you, pervert," Chizuru called out from the group.

"Is it all clear now, Ulquiorra," Orihime asked, disregarding her troublemaking friend.

"I'm not a child, Orihime," the Arrancar replied sternly, and started walking away.

Orihime giggled. "You're like a child, though. Adorable and stubborn and new to this world," she said, as she tapped him kindly on the shoulder. Orihime followed Ulquiorra to their seat by the window.

The girlfriends watched them go, practically shaking their heads in disbelief. They still could not fathom the attraction. "You know, they're quite a pair," Ryo noted, still reading.

"Who," Mahana asked. "Orihime and Ulquiorra? Yea, they're _something_."

"No," Ryo corrected, finally looking up from her book, "Chizuru and Ulquiorra." Everyone seemed to get a brain cramp at that moment.

"What," Chizuru demanded in shock, eyes incredulous through her hot pink glasses. "Are you trying to suggest something about me and that _male_?"

Ryo actually lowered the book this time, and looked upon the faces of her confused classmates. "Chizuru's reaction to Orihime liking Kurosaki was to root enthusiastically for Kuchiki. Schiffer's reaction was to find and challenge Kurosaki."

"Oh," Michiru perked up in realization. "I get what Ryo's saying! While Ulquiorra got really jealous when he found out, Chizuru was never really too affected by Orihime liking Kurosaki."

"Exactly," Ryo confirmed, before returning once again to her novel. "Makes one wonder whether Chizuru really loves Orihime the way she says she does."

Chizuru's ears were red with rage. "Blasphemy! How dare you question my devotion to my Hime-chan?"

Tatsuki shrugged. "It'd make life a helluva lot easier for me if she gave up on Orihime and switched targets."

"You shouldn't say that," Mahana chimed in, "what if she comes after you next?"

"I would never go after Tatsuki, my heart belongs to Hime-chan," Chizuru proclaimed, before lowing her voice to be closer to conversation-level. "Besides, Tatsuki's not my type at all. Too masculine, too rough, too scrawny, and she's got no meat on her bones, if you know what I mean."

If Tatsuki weren't so happy that she wasn't Chizuru's type, she would have objected. Instead, she put Phase One of her plan into action, with the same level of guile as she did all else. "Anyway, I'm trying to provide some level of adult supervision for Orihime and Ulquiorra, so why don't we all go out to Karaoke after school?"

The group of friends just looked around at each other for a moment, before Mahana replied. "Sounds good to me."

* * *

At the moment, Ulquiorra was living a playboy's dream. He was alone, in a small, dim, private, sensually styled karaoke room with five beautiful young ladies. Granted, one was lesbian, but usually that kind of thing might work in a playboy's favour anyway.

But Ulquiorra was no playboy. In reality he was bored, and more than a little aggravated. Watching all of these teenage girls sing, in varying degrees of terrible, was not exactly how he liked spending his afternoons. No, he liked spending his afternoons under the bed covers with Orihime.

Unfortunately, Orihime felt otherwise. As soon as he saw her gushing about karaoke as "Japan's favourite pastime", he knew he was in trouble.

Just when he was considering ways to punish Orihime for taking away their quality time together, it was Orihime's turn to sing. She was looking through the list of songs, when her eyes widened and her lips pursed.

"This song," Orihime announced boldly, "is dedicated to Rangiku-san. You stole my CD, but I will still cook a great meal for you when we meet again! Come visit soon!"

Michiru raised an eyebrow. "Who is Rangiku-san?"

"No idea," Mahana answered. The song started playing. It was "Orange" by Lil'B.

Orihime wasn't exactly what one would call a great singer, but she had a cute voice. She danced weirdly as she sang, and she forgot the lyrics sometimes, but Ulquiorra was star-struck. Watching her body move, her eyes close as she was swept away by the rhythm, Ulquiorra couldn't peel his eyes off of her. He felt that even if he lived his life a thousand times over, he still wouldn't be able to contain the bursting emotion in his chest.

It was overwhelming. He was in a trance the whole time. Maybe it was the lighting, but there was a spotlight on her. Before Ulquiorra even registered that she had moved, Orihime was beside him again, a splash of rose on her cheeks. "Was I as bad as I thought I was?"

Stiffly, Ulquiorra turned to look at her, eyes still wide and glazed. "You were amazing," he said simply. She smiled shyly, and it was thoroughly adorable. Heart-melting, even. Or at least Ulquiorra thought so.

Yes, Ulquiorra was so far gone, that he didn't even notice when Tatsuki had unceremoniously shoved the microphone into his hand, and a couple of the girls had pushed him to his feet and to the karaoke machine.

The former Espada looked down upon the machine dumbly. They weren't precisely a technological race, the Arrancar. Orihime, slapping her forehead, realized this soon enough and came to the aid of her former captor.

"Which song do you want to sing," Orihime asked. They'd pretty much heard all of Orihime's CDs together by now. They were great motivation while getting the house cleaned up.

Ulquiorra's answer was instantaneous. "'Our World' by Namikawa Daisuke." Orihime blanched. Why such a terrible song?

"It is the only song that I know that is within my voice range," Ulquiorra explained. Well, that, and he didn't exactly want to be singing idiotic songs about nail polish and secret crushes. If he was going to be making a fool of himself, he should at least try to hold on to _some_ dignity.

It was ridiculous that he'd feel so nervous, but Orihime's celestial radiance had made him feel outclassed. Inferior, in some way. If this was another contest, Ulquiorra knew there was no way that he could emerge victorious. Orihime had said that she owned him, and his loss here would only solidify this.

What would she do with her authority? It wasn't like she would do anything mean to him, but this was Orihime, after all. Maybe she'd make him do something stupid. Something so brain-numbingly out of the blue that Ulquiorra's rational mind could not even predict it. There was only one thing Ulquiorra knew for certain: there was no way he could outperform Orihime. But her eyes were glued to him, and there really was no escaping this battle.

All he had to do was hit the notes on the screen and get the lyrics right. At least then he'd do better than Orihime's friends. While small consolation, it might soften the blow. The music began playing. Ulquiorra, fierce former Espada that he was, crushed down the fear in his gut and took a deep breath.

Orihime was settled into her seat. Why couldn't he sing a nice song? Maybe about nail polish. Ulquiorra had black nails, he could relate to that. Why did he insist on reinforcing the notion that he was a menace?

Ulquiorra opened his mouth and began to sing, voice low, deep, and just a little raspy. Orihime felt the wind escape her lips. Her friends gazed at her smugly. Beyond the 'what a creepy song!' comments, they were none too effected by the power of Ulquiorra's voice.

The song ended, and Ulquiorra put down the microphone. He wondered what Orihime would say, because he in no way could read the expression on her face.

"Ulquiorra and I are going home," Orihime rose on boneless legs, grabbed their coats in one hand, and Ulquiorra's hand in the other. Wasting no time on explanations, she dragged the confused Arrancar out of there.

When the door had slammed shut behind them, Tatsuki allowed herself to frown. She should have expected something like this. She took out her phone and found her accomplice's number.

"Yo, Ishida?"

Out in the hall, Orihime was dragging Ulquiorra away as quickly as she could. She had planned to get home before yielding to her desires. Ulquiorra, however, didn't much like being dragged around for no apparent reason.

"Why are we leaving," he asked.

Damn that voice. She could never hear it the same way again. "What?"

"Why are we leaving," Ulquiorra repeated, planting his heels into the ground. Orihime bit her bottom lip. She rose to the tips of her toes, and planted a kiss squarely on Ulquiorra's lips. Her fingers ran through his raven black hair.

Ulquiorra wasn't stupid. And it wasn't so hard to find a closet right there on the second floor of the karaoke house.

As he had promised, Uryuu was quickly at the door of the karaoke house, where Tatsuki was waiting for him.

* * *

"Where are they," Tatsuki asked as soon as Uryuu was within hearing range.

"Inoue-san and Ulquiorra are still in the building," he replied, walking right by Tatsuki and into the establishment.

"Seriously," Tatsuki wondered. "I would have thought that they'd make a run for it."

Uryuu stopped in front of a closet, easily distinguished by the rather banal look of it compared to the other doors along the hall. Tatsuki frowned. _Damn, Orihime, you only made it four doors down?_

Tatsuki pushed Uryuu down the hall, attempting to hide him from view. "H-Hey, Arisawa-san," Uryuu spluttered.

"What are they going to think if they see you here," Tatsuki justified in a hushed voice. She opened the door to the Karaoke room she had rented. "Hide out in here until I come get you." She shoved him through, and, dumbstruck, he stumbled onto the plush seat. Tatsuki closed the door behind him with a smile and a thumbs-up.

He looked around and saw Orihime and Tatsuki's friends looking at him with wide eyes. "Uh… good afternoon." A devious smile crept across the faces of each of the girls. They handed him a microphone.

For the next fifteen minute, Uryuu was left at the mercy of three women who found it absolutely hilarious that the uptight Ishida was singing karaoke. All he could do was wonder why he was so easily swept away by every woman he came in contact with.

Meanwhile, Tatsuki, for no particular reason, needed a broom. She opened the door to the supply closet, to find everyone's favourite soul-eating monster from another dimension passionately making out with her best friend.

"Tatsuki-chan," Orihime exclaimed in shock, as she instinctively tried to draw back from Ulquiorra's hand on her breast. Which didn't work well, because his hand was beneath her shirt.

"Orihime," Tatsuki lectured, "what did we say about taking things slowly?" Orihime giggled nervously, scratching the back of her head. Tatsuki rolled her eyes. "Come, let's have a soda. It looks like you need to clear your head."

* * *

"Arisawa is annoying me," Ulquiorra stated tactlessly, as he and Orihime approached the huge, warehouse-like mini-country called Costco. He held Orihime's hand tightly with one hand, and in the other held empty reusable grocery bags.

Orihime mustered an embarrassed smile. "You know that she's just doing this to protect me. She doesn't want me to get hurt." _Or pregnant_, she added silently. Ulquiorra looked almost exasperated, clearly unsatisfied with the redhead's excuse. "Well… I _did_ promise her that we'd take it slow…"

"Take what slow," Ulquiorra asked. Orihime looked forward, a blush on her face. In typical Ulquiorra fashion, she ignored the question. "Why will you not answer me?"

"There are some things," Orihime started diplomatically, "that you don't need to be aware of just yet."

Ulquiorra eyed the redhead suspiciously. "Why?"

Orihime thought that over. "You know, Ulquiorra," she replied cheerfully, "instead of worrying about such things, you should just enjoy your time on Earth!"

"My time on Earth," he repeated, an eyebrow raised. "I am not leaving this world until you are, therefore I still have several decades to 'enjoy my time' here. And I would like to spend that time understanding what people around me are saying."

"Good point," Orihime conceded with a smile. "What we should be taking slow is our physical relationship. I'm not telling you what _that_ means, though, not until I'm sure about all of this."

Ulquiorra considered this. "What is it that you need to ascertain?" The only response he received as the two walked into the mega store was a wink.

Somehow, the store looked even more massive on the inside than on the outside. The stock was piled precariously high on each side of them. The grey ceiling was high above them, and powerful florescent lamps hung from it in rows. There were no windows, and, as a result, once the two got through the door, there was the sense that they had suddenly found themselves underground.

"What is this place," Ulquiorra intoned, taking in the huge interior.

Orihime smiled cheerfully. "It's a magnificent sight, isn't it, Ulquiorra?" The redhead motioned grandiosely to the vastness. "This… is Costco!" The two walked down the first aisle.

"What does it… do," Ulquiorra asked, examining the boxes towering high above him. Orihime laughed beside him, as she pulled out a grocery cart.

"This is where you go to buy food in bulk," Orihime explained. "Usually I just go to the corner store, but when Rangiku-san and Toushiro-kun were here, Rangiku-san and I came here so that we could buy enough for all three of us for almost the same price!"

"What is the price," Ulquiorra asked. After decades living in a towering, monolithic, empty fortress, and decades before that living in an endless empty desert, this place was making him feel just a little claustrophobic. As if the tightly-packaged goods might fall on his head at any minute.

"Well, that depends, Ulquiorra," Orihime replied, picking up a bag of flour from the pile. She placed it carefully into the cart, Ulquiorra's unblinking eyes watching intensely. She rose again with a slight bounce, and with a smile, motioned to the florescent yellow card above the pile of flour bags.

"See this, Ulquiorra," Orihime motioned. "This means that each bag of flour costs 500 yen." Ulquiorra nodded hesitantly, examining the card.

"What is a 'yen'," he asked, as he pushed the cart forward, following Orihime as she looked for something else to buy.

"Japan's currency is the yen," she replied, "you'll understand better when we get to the cash, but you trade money, in yen, for goods and services."

"I see," Ulquiorra commented, not too sure he understood. Things in the human world were so complicated.

"Is it really necessary," Ulquiorra asked again, "to run this world by such a complex system?"

Orihime actually laughed, trying to think of an appropriate answer to that question. "You don't know humans too well, do you Ulquiorra?"

Ulquiorra furrowed his brow, looking almost offended. "What did you say, Orihime?"

"Think about it, Ulquiorra," Orihime returned. "In Hueco Mundo, if someone wants something, they'll take it or die trying, right?"

Ulquiorra nodded. "That's the way of the world."

"Well, in the Material World," Orihime explained, "things are the same way. If society didn't stop them, some people would do whatever they want, without considering others."

"So," Ulquiorra challenged, as they made their way into the next aisle.

Orihime frowned slightly. "It would hurt people."

"People are hurt anyway," Ulquiorra returned. "All your laws accomplish is the suppression of people's true nature."

"Perhaps," Orihime crossed her arms, thinking. "But humans can't be trusted to act in a responsible way towards their community and environment, so it's not like we have much choice."

"Precisely," Ulquiorra responded, helping Orihime with a jug of cooking oil. "Even those who make and enforce the laws are mere humans. Therefore all that laws accomplish is disallowing certain humans from doing something, while increasing the power of other humans to do so. It is the same thing that Aizen did to the Hollows."

"It's totally different," Orihime gasped, just a little offended. "The people in government are elected by the people! We have watch-dog groups! Checks and balances to minimize corruption! Japan hasn't had a leader like Aizen in, like, sixty years already!" The two made their way down another aisle, unaware that two pairs of watchful eyes were observing their every move.

"Wow," Tatsuki commented, hiding behind a huge stockpile of canned corn. "Orihime's really strutting her stuff."

"I wasn't aware that she enjoyed discussing political philosophy," Uryuu commented, honestly surprised.

"Not usually," Tatsuki agreed. "I think Ulquiorra must be the exception."

Uryuu's eyes narrowed. "Why would Ulquiorra be the exception?" Tatsuki smiled, eyes still trained on the retreating figures. She took Uryuu by the sleeve and dragged him forward.

"Because he was her enemy," Tatsuki replied. "Their relationship was set on the grounds that there weren't any expectations that she had to meet. I mean, what are the expected social forms between a captor and a captive?"

Uryuu considered this. "Which is why she calls him Ulquiorra instead of Schiffer-kun. But that doesn't explain what we are seeing now."

Tatsuki shrugged. "Orihime usually isn't very good at sharing her real feelings, she's afraid people won't like her for who she is. And who really cares if the _enemy_ thinks you're interesting," the girl's best friend offered. "Now save the analysis for later, they're turning another corner." The two sprinted silently down the aisle, pausing when they heard Ulquiorra and Orihime on the other side.

"Idealist," Ulquiorra accused.

"Nihilist," Orihime returned, before she was distracted by what was before her. "Hey Ulquiorra, have you ever eaten a strawberry?" Ulquiorra took the tiny fruit into his hands, eyeing it intensely. Orihime watched on in excitement. "It's really good, try it!"

When the Arrancar would only glare at the bright red fruit, Orihime took the strawberry from his hand. "Open your mouth, Ulquiorra," the Arrancar just shifted his gaze to her. "Come on, open wide!" Feeling just a little silly, he opened his mouth.

Orihime brought the strawberry to his lips, trying not to be distracted by that intense stare focused pointedly upon her and the humidity of his breath on her skin. He took hold of the strawberry with his teeth and bit into it, his eyes never leaving hers. He brought the fruit into his mouth, her fingers just gently grazing his lips as she pulled her hand back.

"I think I'll buy some of these for later," Orihime suddenly cheered, the spell broken. "And do you know what this means?"

"What," Ulquiorra asked dispassionately.

"We need whipped cream," Orihime gushed, before stopping in her tracks, holding her chest as if she was getting a heart-attack. "No! We'll _make_ whipped cream." She turned towards Ulquiorra in a whirlwind. "Ulquiorra, you are about to learn the sacred art of whipped cream-making passed down through generations of the Inoue family!"

"Generations," Ulquiorra asked. So far as he knew, she didn't even have parents.

"Well," Orihime amended, "not generations, technically. My brother used to do it, and it doesn't look too hard…"

"So, in other words," Ulquiorra concluded, "you have never even done it yourself?"

Orihime pouted. "You don't need to say it like that. I know how to do it!"

The two continued shopping for a long time and quickly filled up their cart. However, the two were soon distracted from their discussion, which had returned to the root topic of freedom versus equality, when a loud crashing sound was heard. Orihime's eyes widened in realization.

"Um, Ulquiorra," Orihime said distractedly. "I'm going to go to the bathroom, ok?" Ulquiorra just offered a sullen nod, watching her retreat back the way they came, where he was absolutely sure a bathroom did not exist. Of course, he also knew that she wasn't really trying to go to the bathroom either.

"Ishida, what do you think you're doing," Tatsuki snapped in a whisper.

"You pushed me," Uryuu, also whispering, defended, trying to pile back up the fallen boxes. They both raised their eyes in horror as they saw Orihime running towards them.

"Tatsuki-chan, Ishida-kun," Orihime greeted, albeit a little awkwardly. "Um, what are you two doing here?"

"We're shopping," Uryuu lied quickly. Orihime smiled nervously.

"Once again," she noted, "neither of you have any groceries with you." There was silence, long and awkward.

"Alright, you caught us, Orihime," Tatsuki sighed. "Ishida and I are on a date."

Orihime looked kind of startled at that. She was sure Uryuu liked Rukia… "Really?"

"Yes," Tatsuki nodded, hooking her arm around Uryuu's in stereotypical 'date' fashion.

Orihime thought about that a minute, watching her best friend's confident smile and Uryuu's dumbfounded expression. "Oh." She smiled. "Have fun, then!" Orihime and Tatsuki waved goodbye to each other as Orihime returned to where Ulquiorra was apparently rather absorbed by some book. She stopped cold, however, and took a sharp right into the cereal aisle.

Finally, when the redhead was safely out of earshot, Uryuu voiced his confusion. "She couldn't believe that we are at Costco shopping, but she could believe that we are here on a date?" Tatsuki smiled.

"Yup," she answered simply.

A few moments earlier, as Orihime had dashed off to question the suspicious presence of her friends, Ulquiorra was left to find something interesting in his strange surroundings.

To his left, there was a display of books, all spread out more or less randomly upon a huge length of table. The picture on one of them caught his eye. It was of a shirtless man provocatively embracing a woman, a woman who seemed to be responding to him. Wow, what could _this_ be?

It was called "Beautiful Stranger." The Arrancar read the back panel of the paperback, just like Orihime had showed him. "Raised in a gilded cage, she was the chubby twin sister no one noticed. Now her weight loss made Marissa Pierce the kind of woman every man desired – including Robert Martinez. If only she had the courage to return his seductive gaze…

"A proud Native American, Robert resented Marissa's privileged lifestyle. Yet this elegant stranger understood his wounded heart. Now Robert was determined to show her how truly beautiful she was – before the princess could escape to her ivory tower forever."

Fascinating. He opened the novel to the first page, and began reading. Soon, however, he sensed Orihime's reiatsu approaching him from behind. Ulquiorra looked down at the book and made a quick decision. He pocketed the small novel.

"Hey Ulquiorra," Orihime called, placing a bag full of bread-stuffs into the overflowing cart, "we're going!" She hooked her arm around his, and then pushed the heavy cart over towards the front of the store.

"Alright, now," Orihime said, smile alight, "pay close attention, Ulquiorra!" She started transferring the groceries from the cart to the rolling mat. Ulquiorra mimicked her.

"So you see," Orihime lectured, "the costumer gathers what they want to buy in a cart, and then they come to the cash, where we are now, and pay for everything that we want to buy. It's simple, you see?"

"You pay in 'money', the currency of which, in this particular country, is the yen," Ulquiorra clarified. The cashier withheld a look of confusion. She had been working at this post for a long time, and heard a lot of strange things, but _this_ sort of conversation has never occurred. Had the pale kid been a kidnap victim, or something?

"That's right," Orihime praised.

"So then," Ulquiorra asked, "where does the money come from?"

Orihime smiled. He was questioning! The first step of learning! "You get money by working at a job. Except I get my money from the government, because I'm an orphan living alone."

"Ah, I see," Ulquiorra replied, just the smallest hint of satisfaction in his voice. "That is why you speak out in such flagrant support of the government. They are paying you."

Orihime's eyes widened, her mouth falling open as she stared at her roommate. "I-It's nothing like that!"

"Cede your pride, Orihime," Ulquiorra said, hands still moving as instructed. "You have lost."

She pouted at him. "This isn't a contest."

"You can't decide that," he said, just a little smug.

Orihime was about to retort this, as she handed her bank card to the cashier, when the cashier raised her voice.

"Would you like to make a donation to the Shibuyaki Foundation," the woman asked for the millionth time that day, and Orihime's eyes glazed over. "Costco is a proud supporter of the Shibuyaki Foundation, which provides aid to underprivileged children."

The redhead's eyes lit with awe. "Do you mean to say," she breathed, not believing her luck, "that the Shibuyaki Fair is in town today?"

"Yes," the cashier responded, "until next Tuesday."

Orihime squealed in excitement, throwing her hands over her head joyously, and then doing a little 'Shibuyaki' dance. Only Ulquiorra was frightened by the display.

* * *

It was a peaceful day in Soul Society. The Captain of the Thirteenth Division relaxed on the patio outside one of his studies, a light, steaming tea between his hands. Juushiro looked upon the opulent Division Training Grounds with a look of quiet content. Truth be told, even these fields dedicated for training were rather still, only a few odd shinigami meditating beneath a tree or atop a hill, their swords balanced beautifully upon their knees. A gentle breeze stroked the afternoon air.

"Quite different from just a week ago," a familiar voice commented from behind, as the scraping of the sliding door was heard. Juushiro turned to face his long-time friend.

"Shunsui," the white-haired man greeted. The other man smiled, removing his large straw hat as he sat beside his friend. The two watched the serenity for a long while, before Juushiro spoke.

"Komamura-taicho's funeral procession will be starting soon," Juushiro said, eyes touched by sadness still watching the fields.

"Yea," Shunsui replied. They both retreated into their thoughts again.

"I don't want Soul Society to go to war again," Juushiro commented after a long moment. His eyes narrowed in mourning as the wind blew through his long hair.

Shunsui looked down into the folded hands on his lap with guarded eyes. "Yea…"

* * *

"Beautiful Stranger" belongs to Ruth Wind and Silhouette Books.

I turned 17 on December 22. And I passed all my courses. Reward me with reviews, if you please. :D I hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	16. Fear

Chizuru, quite unlike herself, was grumbling as she made her way down the familiar streets. How could Ryo suggest that she didn't love Orihime? The proposition was simply ridiculous. Unnerving, but ridiculous.

Sure, Chizuru checked out other girls. There were plenty of cuties out there; she was a sucker for the sweet, shy, innocent types like Michiru. And there were the bimbos with the big fake breasts and the super-thin waists, but that was all fabricated. Only Orihime had the kind, adorable, childish mind _and_ the natural sexy hourglass shape that Chizuru's mouth watered over.

Orihime was everything that Chizuru wanted in a woman. It was love, plain and simple. This truth wasn't diminished just because Chizuru flirted around. How dare Ryo even conceive of it? It was as if her nose was buried too deep in those books of hers to have noticed the flaming hot passion she had for her Hime-chan, one-sided as it may be.

Chizuru walked into the familiar shop, willing herself to calm down and just finish the errand. She was bound to feel better when she returned home with her merchandise. The redhead strode along the magazine stands, confidently going towards her favourite section. When she arrived, staring disapprovingly at the rack, she frowned.

"Hey, mister," she called to the guy at the cash. "Where's the Sports Illustrated?" The young kid looked down, blushing just a bit.

"Um, Miss," the teenager said, "this month's issue of Sports Illustrated is the Swimsuit Addition…" Chizuru nearly rolled her eyes.

"I know that," Chizuru said. Obviously. "I want to know where it is." Before the kid could answer her, the door to the corner store opened with a chiming of the bells. A girl with braided black hair and a sailor uniform walked straight towards Chizuru, determination in her eyes.

"Move," the woman intoned coldly as she approached Chizuru, who, of course, didn't move. Her chin, however, did jut up the moment the two made eye contact. The woman took one look at the rack, and turned around on her heels, cool confidence in her every step.

"I need an issue of Sports Illustrated," the frightening woman said simply to the young clerk. Chizuru approached the cash also, her fist pounding upon the desk as she arrived.

"So do I," Chizuru declared. The woman looked at Chizuru with just a little annoyance in her eyes. This ticked Chizuru off to no end. What a prissy little bitch. "What's _your_ problem?" The teenager at the cash, openly frightened, went off to go fetch the manager. He was sure that they must've been out of Sports Illustrated.

The woman, who looked no older than Chizuru, looked forward. "I have no problem," she dismissed easily.

"Ah, Risa-san," an older man proclaimed as he came out from the back of the store, "you're a little later than usual."

"There was some trouble on the way here," Risa replied vaguely. "Do you have what I want?"

"One left," the manager said, flashing the provocative magazine. "I saved it just for you."

"Hey, that's not fair," Chizuru complained sternly. "I was here before her, I should be the one to get it!" Risa shot the teenager a look.

"He saved it for me," she said flatly. "It's mine." She reached for the Sports Illustrated, but Chizuru was just as fast.

"No way am I going home without this," Chizuru proclaimed. She took her money out of her pocket, and practically threw it to the clerk. "No one is going to deny me my ladies!"

"They're my ladies," Risa growled back. "Hands off!" She tried to rip the magazine from Chizuru's hands, but Chizuru held a tight grip, staring pointedly into her rival's eyes.

"Ladies, ladies," the clerk begged. "Please don't cause a commotion. There will be some fresh issues delivered tomorrow morning…" But he was too late. It had become a point of pride.

"Let go," Chizuru demanded, as she yanked viciously on the magazine.

"No way," Risa shot back, pulling back hard. Chizuru bared her teeth in a growl.

"I'm afraid, sir," the teenage boy confessed. The older man patted his shoulder.

"You never want to get between a woman and her porn," the man replied sagely.

After a few more minutes of fruitless struggling, both women were getting tired of it. Chizuru proposed a settlement. "Look! Why don't we go half-way on the bill, and then we split the magazine up depending on which girl suits us?"

Risa considered this. "Alright." Risa paid her share to Chizuru, and, in response to the clerks pleading, they walked out of the store. They sat on a bench outside, side by side. The magazine was on their laps.

"Ok, first one…" They flipped to the first page, and both woman stared holes into the picture.

"Not enough curves for me," Chizuru decided. Risa nodded.

"Not my type either." They flipped the page. Chizuru's mouth fell open in awe.

"Such a delicate face," she cooed. "And those breasts! How delicious… I'm taking _this_ one." Risa growled.

"No way," she shot down. "Redheads are my type."

"What," Chizuru shouted, incredulous. "Redheads are _so my_ type!" Risa, grip on the magazine firm, tried to make a run for it. But Chizuru wasn't going to give up without a fight. "Oh, you are _not_ going anywhere with my magazine," she shouted.

Chizuru tackled Risa to the ground. "Give me… my… magazine," she ground out, while struggling against the other girl's solid hold on her wrists. Risa's leg swung around, kicking Chizuru forcefully to the ground. Years of dealing with Tatsuki, however, had taught Chizuru how to bounce right back. She grasped for the magazine.

After a few more minutes of fighting for the Sports Illustrated, both women lay breathless on the ground.

"Stupid… Gigai…" Risa breathed. Chizuru turned her head to shoot Risa a glare.

"What did you call me," she demanded. Risa waved away the question with her hand.

"Yadomaru," Risa breathed. "Yadomaru Risa."

Chizuru blinked once, twice, before responding. "Honshou Chizuru," the redhead greeted.

* * *

"Wow, this is great, Ulquiorra," Orihime cheered as she strode briskly towards the fair, Ulquiorra in tow. Her eyes were dancing with an excitement that Ulquiorra couldn't bring himself to damper, despite the monstrosity he was faced with.

Well, Ulquiorra could admit, it wasn't like anything he'd ever seen. There were mechanical contraptions littered all over the parking lot of a nearby shopping center, motorized arms reaching out in odd ways that couldn't possibly be safe. The menace was carefully hidden behind bands of brightly coloured paint. Woven around the machines were stands overflowing with huge, oddly coloured stuffed animals.

Sometimes, Ulquiorra honestly had to wonder whether Orihime was trying to kill him.

"What'll it be today, Miss," the carnie with the protruding teeth asked when Orihime and Ulquiorra had made it to the front of the short line.

"We'll take it all," she cheered. "The week pass for me and my friend!"

Ulquiorra's frown grew just a little deeper. "Week pass? Meaning we will be back here?"

"Of course," Orihime said, as if it were more than obvious. "This is the Shibuyaki Fair!" Ulquiorra's objection died on his tongue as Orihime handed the man the money and took their bracelets.

"Let's go," she cheered, dragging the reluctant Arrancar into the fair. She sat him down on a bench, and stood before him, fussing with his bracelet.

They had changed when they had returned home to drop off the groceries. Ulquiorra was now wearing her brother's jeans and a plain black shirt beneath a black zip-up sweater Orihime had found. Orihime wore leggings, for warmth in the evening, under nice black pants, and a form-fitting hot pink turtleneck.

"The bracelets are green," Orihime noted, "just like your eyes."

Ulquiorra didn't understand for the life of him why that made her blush. He allowed her to attach the bracelet around his wrist and then helped her with hers, as her bright eyes darted around eagerly. Just like a child.

"What ride do you want to go on first, Ulquiorra," Orihime asked, very much like a kid in a candy shop. Ulquiorra looked around. He saw nothing familiar.

"How should I know, if this is my first time at the Shibuyaki Fair," he asked dryly. Orihime turned to him in a jolt, eyes wide and mouth open in an involuntary gasp.

"This is your first time," she breathed. "Your first time at a fair." Ulquiorra just nodded. A huge smile parted her lips as she took Ulquiorra into a hug. "I'm so excited for you! You're going to have _so_ much fun, just wait and see!" She took him by the hand, and ran in a random direction.

The first ride they decided on was The Butterfly. They were standing in queue and Orihime continued to babble, as she was prone to doing when she was excited. "And it's a good thing we found out today, because it's Thursday, and most people won't come to a fair on a Thursday, because there's work or school the next day. So we won't have to wait in lines for too long!"

"But don't we also have school tomorrow," Ulquiorra asked.

Orihime brushed off the question. "Yea, but I've missed so much school already that I'm not worried about just being tired one Friday! Besides, we're only young once, Ulquiorra, we must enjoy life to the fullest!"

"I see," Ulquiorra noted. "Are… there not other things we could do to enjoy life to the fullest?" Something that perhaps kept Orihime away from dangerous heavy machinery?

"Oh, there are lots of things," Orihime replied, completely missing the subtext of his words. "Endless things, really! We played in a park, and went to Karaoke, and now we're at a fair, so next time, we'll go to the movies!"

"Have we not already seen a movie," Ulquiorra asked, as they moved forward in line yet again.

"We've seen a movie," Orihime answered, "but seeing a movie in theatres is a completely different experience! The screen is really really big, and there's surround sound and everything!"

"How big is the screen," Ulquiorra asked. Orihime pointed from one end of the ride to the other saying "_that_ big!". Ulquiorra nodded. "That _is_ rather big."

"Yea," Orihime cheered. "It's great, you'll like it! And then what should we do after that…" Her gaze drifted to Ulquiorra, as she examined him closely. "I'm not going to let you play video games."

Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow. "What did you say?"

"You'd find it boring," she decided with a nod. "And if you don't you might become addicted… I should also limit TV time…" She drifted off, wondering about which books Ulquiorra should read to form his human knowledge in a productive way. However, she was soon jogged from her contemplation.

"Tickets," the carnie running the ride exclaimed for all to here. Orihime fidgeted in excitement as she took Ulquiorra's hand in hers and showed the carnie their green bracelets.

Once they were cleared, Orihime dashed ahead to get her favourite red pod, Ulquiorra following at a more relaxed pace behind her. He got in with her. "So we simply hold onto the bar?"

"The bar is going to come down over our laps," Orihime clarified. "It'll hold us down, and, if you're scared, you can hold onto the red bar over here!"

"As if I would be scared," Ulquiorra bristled. Who did she think he was? Orihime only laughed as the silver bar descended, indicating that they were about to take off. Her hands took firm hold of the red bar. Ulquiorra's remained in his pockets.

The Butterfly started with a jerk. The two were propelled into the air, as the ride spun them around and around in circles. In wave motions, they rose and fell in the air.

"This isn't scary," Ulquiorra stated blandly, as Orihime's grip on the bar tightened.

Orihime laughed again. "I suggest you take your hands out of your pockets for this."

Suddenly, the red pod that they were in began to spin on its axis, moving violently with such a start that Ulquiorra's mortal heart nearly shot out of this chest. He was forced to do something he hadn't done in the longest time.

Both hands shot out of his pockets in an effort to save his life amidst Orihime's cries of joy. He held onto the red bar as if his life depended on it, sure that if he loosened his grip for even just a moment, he would be propelled from the pod.

A few exhilarating minutes later, the pod began to slow as it descended to the floor. "That was totally awesome," Orihime cheered, as she threw her now free hands into the air. She turned towards Ulquiorra with a smile that could stun the blind. "Don't you think, Ulquiorra?"

Slowly, very slowly, Ulquiorra turned to look at Orihime with empty eyes. His hands still held a tight grip on the bar. It took him a moment to appropriately phrase his response to this situation. "Do you realize that human bodies cannot survive being projected from this height?"

Orihime laughed at his words. "C'mon, let's go on another one!" She pried his fingers from the bar, and pushed him out of the pod.

"Are you suicidal," Ulquiorra demanded, as he was dragged towards an even bigger ride. "What will you do if you loose your grip, or if one of those cords snaps –"

"You sound like a mother," Orihime interrupted with a giggle. He glared at her. "It's a compliment!"

"You would die, is what you would do," Ulquiorra continued, his hard glare the only evidence that he had heard her. "You would become a Plus." Orihime laughed again, as they made it to another queue.

"Nothing's going to happen," Orihime assured. "And I'm sure that if something _did_ happen, you could just get out of your gigai, and I could just use my Shun Shun Rika!"

"How will your Shun Shun Rika," Ulquiorra asked, not entirely sure he wanted to hear the answer, "help you break a fall?" Orihime winked.

"They can help with all sorts of things," Orihime exclaimed. "You just need to do what feels right!"

Ulquiorra stared. "In other words, you don't know."

Orihime smiled a smug smile. "I'm saying I would know when the time came. It's called improvisation!"

Ulquiorra closed his eyes, as if he were pretending not to have heard that, as he shook his head. "I don't understand how you managed to stay alive up to now."

Orihime crossed her arms cutely. "Improvisation takes skills! I'd like to see you try," she huffed. Ulquiorra cocked an eyebrow.

"Was that a challenge?"

Orihime cracked a smile. "Of course it was."

Ulquiorra considered this, as Orihime cheered. "Look, Ulquiorra! We'll definitely be able to go with this batch!"

As she predicted, Orihime and Ulquiorra were one of the last to go on for that round. With enthusiasm, Orihime lifted her and Ulquiorra's hands for the carnie, flashing their green bracelets. She towed him into the yellow seat.

"What is this ride called," Ulquiorra asked as they were seated.

"This one is The Dragon," she replied. "It's a lot of fun!"

_Just like the last one_, Ulquiorra thought. He wondered whether this ride would be more life-threatening than the last, since a dragon was much more terrifying relative to a butterfly. His eyes went to Orihime, who was literally bouncing in her seat. He had to be prepared…

The bar descended over their laps. Ulquiorra and Orihime brought their hands to the red bar. The ride began moving forward, slowly at first, but accelerating fast. Before Ulquiorra knew what was happening, they where rounding sharp corners, thrown outwards by the force of it. It was a small track, which made the speed at which they were going all the more insane. Orihime was screaming in exhilaration beside him.

The ride stopped very suddenly, so suddenly that Ulquiorra's and Orihime's heads were thrown forward. Ulquiorra and Orihime looked towards each other at the same moment. Orihime's smile widened. "What do you want to go on next?"

Fortunately for Ulquiorra, there were a finite number of rides in the park. After they had done each at least twice, they decided to take a break for snacks.

"So, which was your favourite, Ulquiorra," Orihime asked, cotton candy between her fingers.

"None of them," Ulquiorra stated flatly. Orihime pouted.

"C'mon, Ulquiorra," she wined, "you've got to lighten up! What's wrong with these rides?"

"They are unnecessary." Orihime gasped. How could he say that?

"They are necessary: for fun," Orihime exclaimed.

Ulquiorra frowned. Orihime was covered in pieces of the blue cotton candy. "Why would you enjoy doing something that makes your heart feel as if it is about to burst through your chest?"

Orihime smiled in return. "Because of the exhilaration! The wind in your hair! The rush of adrenaline!"

"One could say the same of combat," Ulquiorra noted, as he ate his honey-topped hotdog.

"It's nothing like combat though," Orihime countered logically, "because nobody gets hurt." Ulquiorra threw her a glare, and her lips pursed as she hid a smile. "Look! You're fine now, aren't you?"

"After The Monster," Ulquiorra intoned flatly. "I thought I was going to vomit." Orihime laughed.

"If you can't handle these small-time rides," Orihime said, "I don't know _how_ you're going to survive when we go to a real amusement park next summer…"

"Who said we are going anywhere," Ulquiorra replied flatly. Orihime smiled at him again. He wondered if it hurt doing that with her face all the time.

"We are going to the amusement park," Orihime said definitively. "And we're also going to the water park. And I want to bring you to see Tokyo. And a road trip to the beach would be fun, too…"

Ulquiorra glared at Orihime for a minute as they ambled around. "How much is the government giving you, that you can throw it away so easily?"

Orihime patted his back. "You don't need to worry about that. Not until I'm eighteen."

"What happens when you are eighteen," Ulquiorra wondered.

"The government won't pay me anymore," Orihime replied, "and you and I will have to get jobs to survive." Ulquiorra frowned. A job. Extensive contact with trash.

Orihime peered at him from below her bangs. "You _are_ still going to be here, aren't you, Ulquiorra? In two years?"

"Of course," he replied. "I said I would be, didn't I?" Orihime sighed.

"I know," she assured, just a little wistful, "it's just that there was someone else who promised me forever."

Ulquiorra took Orihime's hand. "Do you realize that you are covered with cotton candy," he asked after a moment.

Orihime looked down to her chest, where she usually got her food all over. Wisps of blue were caught in the pink. Ulquiorra watched her as she picked them off one by one and put them into her mouth. Ulquiorra felt something fuzzy grow in his chest. What was the word Orihime had used that day…

"Orihime, you are adorable," he ran his hands admiringly over her shoulders and upper arms. She looked up at him in surprise, a blush burning her cheeks the same pink as her shirt. His eyes were trained on her face, just a little unfocused. She smiled at him.

"Do you want some, Ulquiorra," she offered, heart thumping in her chest. She held out the cotton candy in her hand, but Ulquiorra went straight for her face. He brought his lips to the corner of her mouth, and carefully licked off some of the cotton candy there. His hooded eyes continued to watch hers, pale fingers tightening around her shoulders and drawing her body closer to his. Even when he drew back from her, he kept his hands on her and watched her with appraising eyes, as if admiring a piece of art. Her heart thumped erratically in her chest. She could do nothing other than stare into his emerald eyes.

"Now," he said, still watching her, "do you want to go into the haunted house?" A smile broke through her face like dawn, and she led him away by the hand.

The two flashed their green bracelets. By now, Ulquiorra was resigned to his fate and was doing it himself, although his apathy compared to her enthusiasm provided a startling contrast. They strode into the haunted house.

"Take my hand, Ulquiorra," Orihime demanded, as they entered the dark passageway. She was scared already. "Take my hand, take my hand." She felt the familiar squeeze.

"Orihime," Ulquiorra started, trying to put into words something that was too blatantly obvious to explain. "You have just spent seven days prisoner in a fortress that housed Aizen Sousuke. You were completely defenceless in a hall filled with the strongest Hollows ever born. Do you expect me to believe that what will pull a scream from you is –"

As if on queue, a skeleton popped out before them amidst shrill laughter. Orihime shrieked in terror, practically jumping onto Ulquiorra in pure fright. Ulquiorra, after a moment, closed his eyes, as if to sigh. He patted Orihime's back soothingly.

Orihime was still jittery when they finally exited the haunted house. "I'm never going back there. I am _not_ going back in there," she repeated to herself, eyes still shifting nervously. "I don't know what I was thinking, wanting to go in there."

Ulquiorra watched Orihime with scepticism. "Could you really be so afraid?"

Orihime could hardly believe that she had once found Ulquiorra so scary. (How long ago was that?) He was nothing compared to what she had just experienced. She was sure to have nightmares. "Do you want to go on the Ferris wheel before we leave?"

It was getting cold, and the crisp autumn twilight hung in the air. The sun was setting slowly, the blue-green sky a kaleidoscope of magenta and cyan. Orihime wanted Ulquiorra to get the chance to see the scenery from higher ground.

They got in line for the Ferris wheel. Orihime found it very fitting that the pod that they were offered was a forest green colour. The two were silent as they entered. Orihime's eyes were on the sky. She hummed a song to herself.

"What are you singing," Ulquiorra asked, unsure where Orihime's thoughtful mood had brought her.

"Evening has come earlier in the sky," Orihime sang, eyes never leaving the sunset, "dying the clouds in colour."

The two were silent for a moment, as the wheel began its rotation. "Isn't it beautiful, Ulquiorra?"

He watched the scenery a little longer, every fibre of his being telling him that this was just the world. It was completely normal, as it should be. He looked back to Orihime, and saw the fiery orange sun reflected in her wide eyes. He moved towards her, and wrapped his arms around her.

"I find beauty elsewhere," he said simply, and she leaned her head against his shoulder. The two watched the sun slip beyond the horizon and the clouds turn dark in the still-bright sky. Orihime turned around in his arms to face him. Ever so gently, she brought her lips to his. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to simply be grateful that he could hold her in his arms.

* * *

Orihime and Ulquiorra practically threw themselves unto the door of their apartment. "Key," Ulquiorra muttered against the skin of her neck, as Orihime searched frantically through her pockets. After some fumbling, she got it out, and Ulquiorra shoved the piece of metal into the lock. Orihime yanked open the door, and the two stumbled into the apartment, neither noticing the white envelope clearly visible on the floor.

Orihime took Ulquiorra by the collar, practically dragging him behind her. "Bedroom, Ulquiorra," she rasped. Encouraged, he took her by the waist and lifted her feet off the ground. She was still kissing him, her hands running through his hair and over his neck and reaching down his back. She knew she would probably scold herself for this in the morning, but that didn't seem to bother her too much now.

He put her down once they got through the door of the bedroom. His hands were on her hips but he looked conflicted. She couldn't do this; he couldn't do this. Orihime smiled breathlessly at him. "There's nothing to be worried about," she assured as she kissed him again. She led him towards the bed.

When the back of his knees touched the side of the bed, Ulquiorra allowed Orihime to push him into a seated position. "We're doing everything backwards," she said as she took off her watch and put it on the bedside table. "If I wasn't meant for Kurosaki-kun, I was supposed to get over him before falling in love. I was supposed to go on a few dates with him before kissing him, and I was supposed to wait at least a few years before doing it with him." She took her shirt off, as Ulquiorra's hands trailed up and down her sides.

"Don't you see what's happening, Ulquiorra? It's all happening at once," she continued to babble nervously. "I love him, but I don't love him, and I think I'm falling in love with you, but you're _Ulquiorra_, and we're kissing and we're touching and nothing's resolved and nothing makes sense…"

"Don't think you are the only one," Ulquiorra cut in in a hushed, hurried voice. He pulled Orihime closer to him as she pulled his shirt over his head. "I was supposed to look right by you. I wasn't supposed to admire your colour or guess at the thoughts in your eyes. I've lived for myself for all these years, and even now I don't know what I'm doing here…"

"You belong here now, you can't leave," Orihime whispered as she let Ulquiorra unzip her pants. "You promised." He looked up at her.

"I know, I'm not leaving," Ulquiorra murmured back, as he trailed the pants down her legs, revealing the leggings beneath. "I cannot leave, I realize that. Inexplicably, I find no appeal in returning to Hueco Mundo. There's no colour." Orihime laughed shakily as she lifted a foot to allow Ulquiorra to remove a pant leg.

"I thought you didn't like colour," Orihime teased with a flushed smile.

"I don't," Ulquiorra replied, all the more confounded by the contradiction. He pulled Orihime onto his lap. Their lips met again, roughly, urgently. And yet so smoothly. As if they fit.

"Ulquiorra," Orihime murmured against his lips as his nimble fingers unlatched her bra. She pushed him down beneath her, her red hair pouring freely down her bare shoulders. His hands slid the straps down her arms. The bra fell to the floor, and Ulquiorra leant up towards her, trailing kisses down her throat and to her chest. Her fingers latched onto his hair, drawing him closer to her.

He rolled Orihime over onto her back. She was blushing so beautifully, her hands fearlessly trailing over his muscled chest and back. He kissed her, allowing his hands again to trail lower down her body. Her hips rose to meet his. He liked the feeling. "Oh, Ulquiorra," she sighed.

He brought his hips down on her. The pressure was spectacular. Orihime's hands made their way to his hips, forcing him closer. She spread her legs. "Ulquiorra, just… just…" Her hands ran through his hair and pulled him down for another kiss. She wrapped her legs around his hips, and his hands found her clothed thighs. "Orihime," he breathed against her lips, "Orihime, I need…" Her hips pushed against his again. He rose off of her.

"Ulquiorra," she pleaded, as she stripped the tight black cloth off her legs. He opened his pants in haste and removed them completely. Orihime was just about to start removing her underwear when Ulquiorra's hand shot down into his maroon boxers. Shocked by the action, she could only watch haplessly and with slight disappointment as his hand began to move in a jerking motion, abusing the sensitive appendage.

"Ulquiorra," Orihime gasped, rising to her knees before him. He pulled her onto his lap, continuing his wild motion. He brought his lips forcefully to hers, moaning into her mouth. She snaked a hand between their bodies and down into the scorching heat inside his boxers. She hesitated for only a second before taking firm hold of his member.

Ulquiorra gasped into her mouth, and Orihime smiled. She liked this. Her hand moved with his, until she became confident enough to gently remove his hand from his member and handle him on her own. "Orihime," he moaned freely, his now-free hands tangling in her hair and gripping her breasts and her behind and running over her back and sides and face.

He jerked his hips up into her hands, desperately craving release. "Something… something is…" He was overcome with a heated groan before he could finish, his seed spilling out into his boxers. When his eyes had regained the ability to focus, he saw Orihime looking down upon him with the most unfathomable expression.

She kissed him, fully and passionately. He pulled her onto him, loving the heat of her skin against his. Her legs instinctually wrapped around one of his legs as she tried to draw him closer to her heat. Ulquiorra noticed the moisture, and sat up in the bed.

"What is that," he asked against Orihime's lips. The redhead looked up at him, confused.

"What is what," she asked. Ulquiorra rolled Orihime back onto her back, and his hands immediately went to her groin.

As his fingers trailed lightly over the warmth, he looked at her with questioning eyes. "Why does this get so wet?" Orihime, despite all that happened already, blushed.

"It's because of you," she admitted. She took his hand in hers, and guided it into her panties. He was amazed at the wetness, and now that he was so close to it, the smell also. "Only you can do this to me." Ulquiorra liked that idea. He felt around his territory, Orihime's hand on his his guide.

He leaned forward again to hover over her. She took him into a kiss, continuing to guide his exploration. But Ulquiorra wanted to go further. One of his fingers began to penetrate her. "Oh, Ulquiorra," she gasped. "Ulquiorra!" Despite the large excess of fluids, his finger had difficulty entering her. He felt her insides pressing and tensing and tightening against his intrusion, and he didn't know for the life of him why that was making his member hard again.

Orihime cried out against Ulquiorra's lips, but it wasn't in pain. She continued to guide his bone-white finger deeper into her. He started feeling confident in a motion, going in, going out, going in and going out again. When he was going too quickly for her to bear, she removed her hand from his, and instead grabbed firm hold of his shoulders. He felt drawn into her, relishing in every moan and every gasp and every syllable when she called out his name against his lips.

She moved her hips up to meet his hand and her back arched up against his chest, her hardened nipples catching beautifully against Ulquiorra's bare chest. She was crying out more loudly now, her body rocking against his as if demanding more contact. He moved down her body, his finger still working its magic inside her, and began licking roughly on her nipple. Orihime's hands ran through his hair. She tried to push herself farther into him until finally the sensation was too much for her and that maddening tension in her groan was released with a cry. "Ulquiorra!"

Wiped out, Orihime collapsed back onto her back, only vaguely aware of Ulquiorra's curious gaze on her. Her ragged breathing made him uneasy. "Are you feeling alright?"

Orihime tiredly threw an arm around his shoulders and pulled him onto her. She pressed her lips against his. "I'm feeling better than alright," she said in a quiet dreamy voice. "Could you please hand me the pillow, Ulquiorra?" By the time she had finished the request, she felt Ulquiorra's gentle hands lift her head and place the pillow gently beneath it.

She held onto him as he lied down beside her, quickly abandoning her pillow and snuggling into the warmth of his chest. She threw a leg over his hips. Ulquiorra looked at the woman cuddled against him. He was silent for a long while as he thought. "Is this what Arisawa was trying to prevent us from doing?"

Orihime looked up from his chest, and smiled at him warmly. "Not this _precisely_. I think we've both shown marvellous restraint tonight. So far, at least." She moved up along his chest to plant a kiss on his lips. "Overall, though," she laughed, "we're still pretty much incapable of controlling our hormones."

"I don't mind," Ulquiorra assured, hand trailing down the length of Orihime's body. She slumped her head down on his chest again, closing her eyes.

"Neither do I," Orihime sighed. "Good night, Ulquiorra."

"Good night, Orihime." Never had three words felt so inadequate as they fell asleep in each other's arms.

* * *

A few hours later, Orihime was already fast asleep, her mouth hanging open just slightly as she breathed deeply. Ulquiorra stroked her hair now and then. He was tired, but he couldn't seem to fall asleep. Or maybe he had just been falling in and out of a light sleep all this time.

At some point in those hours that he'd spent just watching Orihime sleep, Ulquiorra felt a disturbance in the dimension, followed by a familiar, yet unfamiliar reiatsu. In the time it took to put some clothes on, find the house key in all the chaos, and kiss Orihime fondly on the lips, Ulquiorra was out of the apartment door. In the black of night he set out to investigate the commotion, his shadow following faithfully behind him.

He wasn't the first incredulous onlooker to arrive at the scene. Standing there in a stupor were Ichigo, Rukia and Uryuu. As Ulquiorra looked on from a distance, frozen in shock for the first time in an eternity, Yasutora ran past him into the clearing that the Hollow had manifested in.

Ulquiorra looked into the face of his former comrade. It was monstrous. Like a man on death row, he approached the Hollow he recognized as Barragan, and the others barely registered his presence even as he stood right beside them. All were too shell-shocked to speak so much as a word.

Although the creature before the unmoving teenagers held definitive traces of Barragan's reiatsu, its form was grotesque; a vile distortion of the Espada's released form. Copious amounts of blood was already gushing from open wounds all over the creature's body, scalpels and scissors and leather bindings protruding out of surgically cut flesh.

It panted in exhaustion, grabbing hold of a nearby fountain to steady itself. The Hollow's eyes seemed unable to focus. Hollow or not, it was difficult for them to watch the old soul suffer. The five warriors stood paralyzed.

"Ishida Uryuu, Sado Yasutora" Ulquiorra called out to the people standing next to him.

"What is the meaning of this, Ulquiorra," Uryuu responded as he was jerked from his stupor, eyes wide with horror.

"Please don't kill this Hollow," Ulquiorra continued, eyes never leaving the unbearably mutilated form of the former Espada. "Allow Kurosaki Ichigo or Kuchiki Rukia to purify him."

"Why," Uryuu pressed. "What is this?" He didn't get an answer. Looking into Ulquiorra's vacant, defiant eyes, Uryuu decided for himself that he wouldn't give the Hollow its finishing blow. He closed his mouth hung open with shock, and his face twisted into an angry scowl. And just when he had thought…

"I-I thought he was supposed to be dead," Rukia stuttered. "How…?"

Despite the incredible reiatsu of the Barragan-like Hollow, its movements were sluggish, its reactions delayed. The being was already dying. When it sensed the presence of the shinigami close-by, it threw what was left of its arms around randomly, like a blind man trying to swat away tiny mosquitoes. The attached plastic tubes flew through the air, some getting caught painfully on nearby tree branches. The Hollow's attempts at defence were pitiful.

"What the fuck is going on," Ichigo exclaimed suddenly, gesturing wildly at the decimated Hollow. "What happened to this thing?" Hollow or not, this guy was a sentient being, someone who had, just a few days ago, fought alongside him. Ichigo could hardly speak past his outrage.

The Barragan-like Hollow turned towards the booming voice. He seemed to take notice of something. "U-Ul-quio-rra…?" He coughed as he spoke, blood pouring from his open mouth. He seemed to choke on the dark blood.

"Kurosaki Ichigo," Ulquiorra stated, closing his eyes. "Please put him out of his misery."

"U-lu-qui-orra," the being gurgled again, stumbling on broken feet towards the Arrancar. "G-get jya hell ou-a ear, heel… heel…" More blood erupted from the old man's mouth. The spectators were frozen in horror.

"Please put him out of his misery," Ulquiorra repeated in what was for him a strained voice. His eyes still shut out the scene before him. This time, Ichigo was jerked from his repulsion.

He brought Zangetsu down upon the Hollow, eyes revealing deep misgivings about what was occurring. The Hollow disintegrated with a pained screech that rang in their ears for a long moment, a moment that stayed with each of them the whole night long.

Captain Hitsugaya remained perched on the high branch from which he had watched the foray even after the group of stunned teenagers had silently dispersed. None of them quite knew how to react to what they had just seen, and the Captain was no exception. He only knew that something was very, very wrong here. Eventually, he followed the jarred Ulquiorra back to Orihime's apartment.

Ulquiorra was exhausted. He was exhausted, and angry and incredulous and defiant, and more than anything else _angry_. How could they do this? Why now? He felt lost in the world, so abruptly alone, and frustrated and vulnerable and angry.

And afraid.

When Ulquiorra arrived back home, he didn't even bother striping down again before returning to bed. He simply crawled under the blankets and held the deep-sleeping Orihime tightly in his arms, his eyes wide open. He didn't fall asleep for a very long time.

* * *

The song Hime was humming was Senya Ichiya ("A Thousand and One Nights"), a beautiful song by See-Saw that I don't own (lol, just in case).


	17. Disruption

When the alarm sounded off at Orihime's house that morning, the song that began playing was not "Our World." Although this was the sort of thing that would strike a person as odd, Ulquiorra was of no mind to think about it. Not two seconds into the song, his hand had slapped down on the snooze button as he looked up tiredly from the bedcovers.

Orihime was still asleep, her arms huddled close to her and her body curved in towards his chest. Ulquiorra kissed her forehead before overcoming his lethargy and climbing out of bed. He looked back at the sleeping girl, red hair splashed around messily and pale shoulders drawn up to her jaw, and decided that she could use another few hours of sleep. He turned off the alarm.

Ulquiorra made breakfast for himself, a lot of it, because he knew that Orihime would be ravenous when she would wake up. She hadn't had a real supper the night before, what with the fair and… that other thing they did. He made vegetables with rice the way she had shown him, and left a hefty share on the table counter for when Orihime would wake up.

After pulling on his uniform and filling his bag with books for the classes of the day, Ulquiorra was ready to go. The Arrancar sat on the couch to wait until quarter to seven, and looked ahead blankly. Shafts of sunlight drifted in slowly from the east window, revealing little hairs of dust floating in the air.

Ulquiorra was bored already, which was odd, because for the first time in a few days, he wasn't late. He wasn't surrounded by sounds of constant bustling and laughter, and no one was offering him makeup tips.

Things were too quiet. It felt strange, somehow. Unnatural. His fingers tapped his palms gently within his pockets.

But he wouldn't wake Orihime. She was tired. He had kept her up late last night. He noticed for the first time how the walls creaked.

He should just go, before the temptation overpowered him. Restlessness brought him to his feet and he headed to the door despite the early hour.

It was then that Ulquiorra noticed something strange. A neat white envelop was sitting unassumingly on the floor in front of the front door. Frowning, Ulquiorra bent down and picked it up. It was addressed to Orihime. After a moment of staring at the envelope, he pocketed it, and was out the door.

* * *

Li Shuang's eyes sparkled as she made her way to the third-story classroom. In her slender arms she carried rolls upon rolls of posters, fully intending to tape each of them to the walls of the classroom. Li-laoshi thoroughly enjoyed her job, loved it, even. There was something about making other people uncomfortable that the teacher just thrived upon. So when she learnt that some unfortunate souls required her assistance, she immediately cleared her schedule and picked up a projector from the school supply room.

Opening the door to Ochi-sensei's Social Science classroom with a big smile on her face, Shuang relished in the surprised look on her fellow teacher's face.

"Good afternoon, Ochi," Li greeted with glee.

"Good afternoon, Li," Ochi-sensei replied, as she eyed the posters in the woman's arms suspiciously. "You really waste no time, do you?"

Li plastered an innocent look on her face, while mischievousness glinted in her eyes. "You said that there were students that needed my help, and as school nurse it is my responsibility to help the students in any way that I can."

"Well then," Ochi said with a small sigh, "thank you for your quick attention, Li-sensei." This was _definitely_ not going to be fun.

* * *

Ulquiorra was not greeted with a warm reception when he arrived at school. The first class was Social Science, and Uryuu and Yasutora were eyeing him silently from their seats as if they were trying to figure something out. Ichigo and Rukia weren't around at the moment, presumably out fighting the Adjucas-class Hollow that seemed to be the norm now. Tatsuki took the initiative.

"Hey, Ulquiorra," Tatsuki greeted, calling him over as if she had known him all her life. Her girlfriends shot her a shocked look as Ulquiorra approached the girls. "Where's Orihime?"

Ulquiorra carefully formulated his answer. "I kept her up late last night, so she is sleeping in," the Arrancar explained dully. He extracted something from the interior pocket of his jacket, and held it out towards Tatsuki. It was an opened white envelope. "I found this on the floor. It is addressed to Orihime."

"What's it say?" Tatsuki asked, taking hold of the envelope. Ulquiorra was silent, so she opened the letter. "Inoue-san,

"Before I begin, I would like to inform you of the pleasure it was to have been able to offer you residence. You have been a kind and reliable tenant, and I feel very grateful for the last few months that you have spent in the apartment complex. I understand that you have moved frequently from place to place in the past, and I remember with fondness your heartfelt desire to settle permanently. I truly believe that you, like I, understand the value of family and home.

"I am afraid that this is why I have extended this correspondence. Your conduct as of late has led me to believe that you are becoming a detriment to the community and to the reputation of my husband's integrity as landlord. I owe it to our other tenants to uphold the highest standards of conduct, therefore it would be a great disrespect to them for your behaviour to be allowed to taint them.

"For this reason, on my husband's behalf, I would like to inform you that you must clear the premises by September 23rd, three days after the issuance of this letter of notification." Tatsuki was just about speechless, "signed, Tanaka Ria."

"What does it mean?" Ulquiorra asked, waiting patiently. Tatsuki frowned.

"It means you and Orihime are going to have to move out," she replied, still a little stunned. What was this, the second time in six months? And of all the stupid reasons to kick her out, it was because of a guy? What a load of bull.

"I understood that," Ulquiorra asserted. "I want to know why. What authority does this 'landlord' have to evict us?"

Tatsuki sighed, her brow furrowed in frustration. "The apartment actually belongs to this Tanaka guy, Orihime's just paying him to use it. He can kick her out whenever he wants." Ulquiorra's eyebrows drew together in turn, and he frowned.

"Thank you for your explanation, Arisawa," Ulquiorra intoned, taking the letter back with long fingers and folding it into the envelope. He walked away, back to his seat, eyes contemplative.

"They're seriously gonna kick her out just cause she's got a boyfriend," Mahana complained, keeping her voice hushed so that Ulquiorra wouldn't overhear. "That's ridiculous!"

"At least they gave a reason this time," Michiru added. "The last few times they just told her to pack her bags, right?" Tatsuki nodded.

"I wonder if my parents would let them stay over until they find another place," Tatsuki wondered. "I know it wouldn't be a problem if it were just Orihime…"

"Yea, no way," Mahana laughed. "As if any sane parent would let someone like Ulquiorra anywhere _near_ their daughter."

"Ya don't know the half of it," Tatsuki muttered under her breath, eyes trailing over to where Ulquiorra was looking out the window. Abruptly, she rose from her seat and strode over to Uryuu, frowning.

"Yo," she greeted as she leant against the desk beside his, eyes still on Ulquiorra and frowning.

Uryuu noticed her stare. "What are you thinking, Arisawa-san?"

"I'm thinking," Tatsuki started casually, eyes still locked on Ulquiorra's thin form, "that it's really unfair that no one's willing to cut that guy any slack."

Uryuu nodded slowly. "Perhaps what we saw at the fair last night has convinced you of something?" he suggested.

"I think so," Tatsuki mumbled distractedly.

It was then that class was called to order. Ochi-sensei let out a sigh. "Yo, guys, we're going to be doing something a little different today." The students eyed their teacher warily. "Nurse Li is going to be back with the projector soon, and she is going to lead a Sex Ed. Session." High fives were shared all around.

Ulquiorra leant forward in his chair. When Ochi-sensei's eyes crossed his, he nodded in thanks to her. The teacher just smiled. A few moments later, Nurse Li was back with the projector, the student she had brought with her positioning it carefully on a front desk and plugging it in. Ochi-sensei shut the blinds.

A very excited Nurse Li faced the class of sixteen-year-olds. "Ah, I remember when I was your age," she started conversationally, leaning back on a desk as she measured up the batch of students. "Hormones raging like never before. Thoughts of sex rising uninhibited in your mind. Do you know what I mean?" she asked the closest person, who happened to be Uryuu. It was the first time he regretted sitting front-and-center in the classroom. Of course, he didn't answer.

"Of course you do. You all do, it's the age," she proclaimed. "Let me tell you something," she continued, addressing Uryuu again, slipping the first transparency onto the projector. "I don't like how most nurses handle Sex Ed. Sessions. They basically talk about this:" she read from the projector.

"One: the physiology of sex. Two: the repercussions of sex. Three: preventing such repercussions," she turned again towards Uryuu, who seemed just uptight enough to be her main target. "Do you know what I think? I think that putting things that way for the young impressionable student just adds stigma to the act of sex. Do you agree?" Again, no answer from Uryuu. Tatsuki withheld a laugh, not quite able to feel pity for the guy.

"Let me tell it to you straight, students: sex is great. It's okay to say it out loud, because everyone knows it. It feels good. It's supposed to, there's nothing more natural," the teacher raved. "That's not to say that you shouldn't be protecting yourself. Having sex is a lot more dangerous now than it was when I was your age. When I was growing up, sure you could get herpes, you could get all sorts of nasty sexually transmitted diseases. You could get pregnant, and you know no one wants to get pregnant and have an abortion. It's not a catastrophe, but it's not on your top 10 things to do in life, either."

Nurse Li looked around the class. If she hammered this enough now, she'd be able to move on to the fun stuff. "But when I was young, you couldn't die from having sex. Now, there's HIV/AIDS, and even though we've made strides in the treatment of this condition, you will still die from it. So for God's sake, use a condom. Its not hard to use, very reliable, and it won't take away from the experience." She took her basket-o-super-sensitive-condoms from behind her, and began making the rounds with it. She put one on everyone's desk, whether they wanted it or not.

"And you can even use it for oral sex. Girls, if you've got a cut in your mouth, and you're giving your boyfriend a blowjob, you can easily be infected with anything he's got. And guys, if you love her, protect her. Even if you don't love her," Li arrived at Ulquiorra's desk and threw him a condom. He looked at it in confusion, and then opened the small package.

"What does this do," Ulquiorra asked the retreating nurse, frowning at the sliminess of the lubricant. She looked back at him, happy for the question. This must be the guy that Ochi had told her about.

"That condom will protect you and your sexual partner from any sexually transmitted diseases you or she or he might be carrying, and vice versa. It keeps your sperm from going into her when you orgasm, therefore it will also ensure that she doesn't get pregnant." Ulquiorra considered this.

"I do not understand five points of your explanation," Ulquiorra stated. "This… thing is a condom, correct?" Li said yes. "And a sexual partner is someone with whom you have sex, correct?" Again, Li said yes. "What is sex?"

Li seemed surprised for a moment, but quickly recovered. "What is your name?"

"Ulquiorra Schiffer," the Arrancar replied. Yup, this was the kid.

"Well, Ulquiorra, sex is a biological function that enables multi-cell organisms to procreate," Li explained. She shuffled through her transparencies for a moment before finding the one she sought. Enlarged on the projector was the male and female anatomy. She motioned towards the picture. "The male sexual organ is the penis, and the female sexual organ is the vagina. Sex occurs when the penis enters the vagina." Ulquiorra's eyes widened.

"And this results in… procreation?" Ulquiorra asked dubiously. Li smiled.

"Yes, if the conditions are right and the male ejaculates into the female," Li explained, "than the female may become pregnant. Nine months after the act of sex, the female gives birth to a baby." Ulquiorra's mouth nearly dropped. The pieces were all falling together now… But…

"Doesn't it hurt the female to receive the male," he asked, thoroughly confused. Everyone in the class shot Ulquiorra a look, but he didn't care. Tatsuki wondered if maybe this was something she should be stopping.

"No, of course not," Li exclaimed. "Sex is highly pleasurable for both the male and female human, unless either goes out of their way to make the experience un-pleasurable. Although it is possible that…"

Ulquiorra was definitely confused. He cut off the nurse. "The acts of sex that I have observed were always physically painful and psychologically scarring for the submissive." The class reeled, not able to fully express everything that was wrong with that one statement.

"Then it was rape," Li stated, surprisingly unflustered. "In the case of non-consensual sex, when one person forces themselves upon someone else, the experience is never a good one." Ulquiorra thought about this a moment. "Were you ever the submissive in that sort of situation?"

"No," Ulquiorra answered. "I managed to avoid those experiences by bending to the will of the stronger willingly." Li raised her eyebrow, and looked at Uryuu.

"Is Ulquiorra… okay?" she asked.

Uryuu answered quickly, seeing no other way of explaining the situation. "He was a kidnap victim. He was just freed a few days ago." Li looked up at the very pale, very slender boy with the sad eyes. The poor kid. The rest of the class whispered amongst themselves, and Ochi-sensei's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Why had no one informed her?

"Sex is enjoyable when the two partners are engaging it in consensually," Li stated, "and especially when the two have a deep sexual attraction towards each other, usually accompanied by love."

But Ulquiorra was still thinking of something else. "Therefore, I can… have sex with a woman without hurting her?"

"Yes," Li agreed. "That's right."

"And she will not fear me afterwards?" Ulquiorra asked. "It will not break her?"

"No, it won't," Li answered. "As long as she wants it just as much as you do, she'll be fine."

Ulquiorra considered this. "How will I know if she wants to engage in sex?"

"She'll say it out loud," Li asserted, speaking not just to Ulquiorra but to the whole class. "Don't trust your interpretation of body language; wait for her to verbally say that she wants to have sex."

"What if she admits to wanting to engage in sex," Ulquiorra asked, "but she refuses to?" Tatsuki shook her head, happy Orihime wasn't here for this. The poor girl would have died from embarrassment already.

"Then you wait for the verbal conformation," Li answered, "or else it's rape." Ulquiorra nodded slowly. Li answered more questions from other students, and then eventually continued talking about the physiological aspect of sex for a while. She informed Ulquiorra of the nature of the erection and the reason that Orihime was always so wet between her legs and that her nipples would harden when he touched them.

When she felt like she had covered just about everything, hands on her hips, she sighed.

"Alright, now that we've gotten the boring stuff out of the way," Li continued, in a slow, conversational tone, "why don't we talk about something a little more interesting?" She was looking at Uryuu while posing the question. The teenager just closed his eyes in annoyance and embarrassment.

The teacher's smile just grew wider. "Now, who knows what kink is?"

At the same time, everyone in the room, with the exception of Ulquiorra, shifted uncomfortably in their chairs.

* * *

On the other side of town, Orihime was still in bed. Once again, she was dreaming of sunlight filtering through the trees, an arabesque of underbrush, deep skies and indigo anemones. One hand was hanging off the side of the small bed, the fingers stretching and retracting every few moments as if it were trying to grasp something.

"Ulquiorra…" Orihime murmured into her naked arm. She arched her back and sighed the name again. Even as the strong sunlight on her back stirred her from sleep, her vision was filled with emerald green eyes and a wildflower she just knew that she had to reach.

A few minutes later, Orihime had come to peace with the fact that, once again, the dream had ended before she was able to finish it. She had again been unable to reach his offering, unable to grasp what he needed for her to grasp.

She sighed into her mattress, just starting to open her eyes. It was then that she realized many things in an instant.

One, the sun was high in the sky. It wasn't six-fifteen in the morning.

Two, Ulquiorra wasn't in bed. And if he wasn't in bed while she was, than the only possibility was that he wasn't home.

Three, there was supposed to be a Biology test third period.

Orihime jumped out of bed, hands flying towards her drawer to pull out a uniform. Her eyes shot to the alarm clock. She had half an hour to get to school. She fell onto the bed trying to get her underwear on.

"Why did he leave without me?" Orihime moaned, pulling her socks on and brushing her hair frantically.

She made her way to the kitchen, hoping to grab an apple, find her coat wherever she had thrown it last night and be out the door. She found her coat folded neatly on the kitchen counter, beside a large plate of vegetables and rice, seasoned with custard and ketchup, just as she liked it.

She watched the plate with wide eyes for a long moment, as if the meaning of life itself was held within the green-red-yellow goodness. The frenzied look in her eyes faded as she tried to figure her life out.

Her stomach rumbled and Orihime took the five minutes to reheat the food in the microwave and to dig in. She tried to go over the Biology material in her mind, because she certainly hadn't studied the night prior, but her mind continually shifted back to him.

It wasn't just lust she felt towards him. It wasn't just that he made her feel strong. It wasn't just that he made her feel beautiful. It was more than the company, more than the sense of security. She wanted to make him happy. To make him _so_ happy.

And she could think of one thing that was making him unhappy right now.

* * *

"Well, what do you think, Ulquiorra?" Tatsuki asked, approaching Ulquiorra after second period. She had finally convinced her friends, with the surprising help of Chizuru, to let her go talk to the sulking Arrancar alone.

"I think Orihime has been lying to me," the slender teenager replied gravely, eyes still gazing out the window. Tatsuki watched him in silence for a moment, and then sighed.

"You have to understand where she's coming from," Tatsuki reasoned. "In this world, girls don't just put out after knowing the guy for a week. At least, not girls like Orihime."

Ulquiorra was silent. "Why could she not have explained that to me, instead of letting me think that I wanted to hurt her?" Was he really so untrustworthy?

"I think she was afraid," Tatsuki considered, looking out the window with an air of nonchalance, sipping on a juice box. Ulquiorra turned to her with sad, heavy eyes. "Not of you, but of herself." Ulquiorra looked back out the window. Silence fell heavy.

"I don't know what to do," Ulquiorra admitted after a while.

Tatsuki took another sip of her juice, chewing on the straw. "Weren't you listening to the nurse? Just wait it out." The two retreated again into their thoughts.

"Ulquiorra," Rukia shouted, turning sharply around a corner and stalking towards him, determination in her step. Uryuu and Yasutora were at her heels. He should probably have dealt with that last Hollow himself, Ulquiorra realized. He turned to face the tiny shinigami.

"Yes?"

Rukia's eyes were on fire, and everything about her oozed fiery confidence. "You know something about this, don't you?"

"Know something about what, Kuchiki?" Ulquiorra asked, totally unfazed.

The shinigami's eyes narrowed. "About what's going on in Hueco Mundo. You know why all these Adjucas are appearing here."

"I believed we have already had this discussion," the Arrancar noted impassively.

"The one we purified just now," Rukia started, "he knew you. He said that this situation was your fault for not doing what you were supposed to do." Ulquiorra's eyes widened, shocked at the statement.

"So you think that I am an agent of some sort of conspiracy," Ulquiorra asked. Rukia nearly growled.

"I'd rather not think that," she admitted. "Not after seeing you and Inoue together. Tell me what's going on." The shinigami's arms were rigid at her side and her chin was raised high as she waited for his response.

Ulquiorra would have sighed. What chaos those idiots had caused. "There is no conspiracy, just a couple of trash causing problems in Hueco Mundo. With the demise of Aizen Sousuke and three of his top four Espada, there is a power vacuum that needs to be filled. Lower Espada now see their chance at supremacy, and are likely fighting viciously over it. Given what you have just said, I can only conclude that they expected me to bring Orihime back to Las Noches."

"Who?" Uryuu demanded coolly.

"It could be any number of people," Ulquiorra stated. "The most likely are Grimmjow and Nnoitra."

"Why would they think you'd bring Inoue back to Hueco Mundo?" Rukia demanded. Ulquiorra closed his eyes, just a little embarrassed.

"Both have commented on my obsession with her," Ulquiorra admitted. "They must have believed that this obsession would lead me to abduct her again. They could not conceive that I would put her safety over my own and stay here with her instead."

"Why do they want Inoue-san?" Uryuu asked, eyes wide. Where was Orihime right now?

Ulquiorra paused. "The most likely reason is that they have been heavily injured in the conflict such that each face extinction if they are not healed."

"What does that have to do with the Adjucas?" This story wasn't making any sense to Rukia.

"Both Nnoitra and Grimmjow, being heavily injured, would require a replenishing of their spiritual energy, leading them to consume a vast number of Hollows," Ulquiorra explained. "That the Adjucas are now fleeing in fear must mean that between the two of them, all other Arrancar created by Aizen Sousuke have already been devoured. They are already going out into the desert to seek lower Hollows who do not possess nearly enough reiatsu to heal their injuries." A jolt of repulsion ran through each of their spines.

"Wait," Tatsuki exclaimed. "Doesn't this mean that Orihime's in trouble?"

"I am keeping a watchful eye," Ulquiorra stated. "Neither Nnoitra or Grimmjow can pose a threat to her so long as I am protecting her. Besides, they might kill each other before one of them is desperate enough to come here to take her himself."

"Why would you keep this from us?" Yasutora rumbled, deep brown eyes just slightly narrowed. "Inoue is our friend."

Ulquiorra paused, watching the tall man with empty green eyes. "Because I have no reason to think that you would believe me." Ulquiorra and Orihime's nakama watched each other for a moment, sizing the other up. It was Ulquiorra who finally spoke.

"Another one has arrived." Rukia frowned, snapping her phone open and throwing a sharp glance over her shoulder as she ran towards the Hollow. She popped a soul candy in her mouth. A moment later, Yasutora's natural chivalry made him follow the petite shinigami, even while knowing full well she could handle the Adjucas just as easily as he could.

Ulquiorra, watching the two retreat, turned his gaze again to the window. It was a cloudy day, with sun pouring through in brilliant shafts of light.

"Where's Ichigo?" Tatsuki asked suddenly, realizing that she had no idea where he was.

"Apparently," Uryuu responded flatly, "Kurosaki and Kuchiki-san ran into Inoue-san on their way here, and Inoue-san wanted to talk to Kurosaki alone."

Ulquiorra's fists clenched in his pockets as something more painful then a sword stabbed through his chest.

* * *

"Kurosaki-kun," Orihime began, her eyes downcast as she trembled slightly. Nervously, the redhead wrung her hands, twisting, fiddling. "I need to tell you something."

A foreboding feeling dropped through Ichigo's gut as he laid sight on the nervous girl. Struggling, the Vizard remained casual. "What's up, Inoue?"

Orihime's hands became clammy; sweat moistened the auburn hair strands on her neck and behind her ears. Her grey eyes, turbulent as a rising storm, were pinned to the floor, already resigned. This was the only way, she kept assuring herself. Hesitantly, the redhead raised her voice.

"The truth is, Kurosaki-kun," Orihime swallowed hard, the reddened skin of her throat bobbing slightly. Her mouth was dry and she tore her bottom lip again as she bite down upon it nervously. Breathing in deeply, Orihime got the words out. "I love you."

Ichigo's jaw dropped. This could _not_ be happening. This didn't make sense, it wasn't possible. Spluttering, Ichigo got out the first thing that came to mind. "Bu-But, what about Ulquiorra?"

Tears sprung to Orihime's eyes, and she battled to keep them from falling. Taking another deep breath, she gathered her courage and looked up to face her crush. She saw that he was uncomfortable. Ichigo's answer was written all over his face, but she needed him to say it out loud. It was the only way. It was the only way to know for sure. "Forget about Ulquiorra. Please tell me, do you love me back?"

Silence stretched on for what felt like hours. Ichigo's mouth moved silently, but he didn't know what he was trying to say. He had just realized his feelings for Rukia, and now this? It was too much, too much for him to hold, too much for him to think about. It didn't make sense, Orihime couldn't love him. This couldn't be happening.

Ichigo noticed a tear falling from Orihime's concealed eyes. This _could not_ be happening. But Ichigo had to deal with it anyway.

"Inoue," Ichigo started, his eyes looking anywhere but the girl before him. "I'm sorry, but… I just don't feel that way about you." Hearing the soft words, Orihime's back curbed, as she brought her palms together, cradling them to her chest. Tears flowed freely.

"I'm sorry, Inoue…" Ichigo didn't know what to say. Awkwardly, he scratched the back of his head, unable to suppress the guilt of having to turn Orihime down. What was he supposed to do now?

Ichigo's eyes were brought back to the woman before him when he heard a soft mumble coming from her quivering lips. In what he hoped was a comforting gesture, Ichigo leaned forward towards Orihime, and brought his hand to rest on her shoulder. "What?"

"Thank you," Orihime repeated in a louder mumble, tears in her voice. A violent tremble overcame her. "I understand now."

"Hun," Ichigo voiced his confusion. Sobbing, Orihime looked up at him. She was no longer blushing, no longer showing signs of nervousness or embarrassment. Instead, she looked up at him with apologetic eyes, realization shaking her body from head to toe.

"I'm sorry, Kurosaki-kun," Orihime started again, her eyes and tears proclaiming true repentance. The redhead held her arms tightly against herself, as if to force the shaking to stop. "I don't love you."

"What?" Confused, Ichigo leaned in closer to the woman's mumbling. Orihime was quivering like a leaf in the wind, and she was barely managing to keep herself standing. "Inoue, what the matter?"

Tears still streaming from her eyes, Orihime let herself drop to her knees on the pavement. Shuddering against Ichigo's worried arms, Orihime struggled to catch her breath. She had been right after all. That realization set free all the tension that had been building in her. Looking up at Ichigo, Orihime smiled beneath her tears. "I don't love you, Kurosaki-kun. I don't. I thought I did, once, but I don't anymore. I'm sorry."

Ichigo didn't know how to respond to that, and before he had a chance to, Orihime's grin got even wider, and she dove into Ichigo's chest, her arms encircling him in gratitude. Unsure what was going on anymore, Ichigo returned the embrace, wrapping his arms around the sobbing Orihime comfortingly. The trembling only got worse. "It's alright, Inoue…"

"Kurosaki-kun… I don't love you," Orihime murmured again, shaking under the weight of the statement. It was all clear as day to her now. "Thank you… Thank you so much for showing me… And I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry about, Inoue…" Ichigo didn't know what to say. She was taking it back now? What was going on? He honestly couldn't do anything other than try to comfort her and make her stop crying.

Orihime let out a short laugh, which turned into a sob. "I know I'm being silly, but I can't help but feel like I've betrayed you." The girl's voice quivered, tears continuing to drench Ichigo's shirt as she clutched the fabric for support. Beneath Orihime's shaking and crying exterior, however, a single truth was being forged in her heart.

The two just sat there for a long while, Orihime sobbing in Ichigo's arms, until the trembling calmed enough for Ichigo to pose a question. "What's going on?"

Tentatively, Orihime looked up from Ichigo's shirt into the compassionate yet confused brown eyes of her former crush. A light blush tainting her cheeks as her eyes dropped again, the redhead loosened her clutch on Ichigo's shirt, and scooted over off his lap. Once she was seated firmly on the pavement, Orihime faced Ichigo again, as she dried her still-flowing tears with her sleeve. "I thought I loved you. But I don't, not anymore, at least." The girl let out another laugh.

Ichigo's eyes furrowed, not out of annoyance, but out of confusion. "Than why did you just confess to me?"

"I never thought that you loved me, but I needed to know for sure. As long as I wasn't sure," Orihime gulped, swallowing her tears. "As long as I wasn't sure that you didn't love me, I would feel like I was wronging you by loving him. I know it's silly and stupid but I always felt like I was supposed to be loyal to you.

"And I didn't even know anymore whether or not I loved you," Orihime continued, still trying to wipe away tears. "But I found the answer when you said that you didn't love me. There was no tearing, no pain. It wasn't at all like before… I realized then that I didn't care whether you loved me or not, because there's only one person for me."

"Who?" Ichigo asked, although he was sure he already knew the answer.

"Ulquiorra," Orihime smiled, the most radiant smile Ichigo had ever seen her wear. "I'm in love with Ulquiorra. I really am." And more tears of joy streamed from her eyes. Ichigo smiled an honest smile, so relieved that things had finally turned out right.

"Well, ain't that touching," a mocking voice descended from above, and with it, a familiar reiatsu. Orihime and Ichigo, eyes wide with disbelief, looked to the heavens and were met with an astonishing sight.

With roughly tied blood-soaked bandages covering his chest, dried blood crusting over his electric blue hair and a cocky grin to put to shame all others, Grimmjow's feet touched the ground.

"I think you owe me a favour, chick," Grimmjow said, a maniacal look shining from eager blue eyes.


	18. In the Name of Humanity

"Fuck," Grimmjow moaned as he tried to move his mangled body. "That bastard, I'm going to fucking tear out his throat and make the asshole eat it…" Grimmjow sighed, glaring up at the phony blue sky with renewed disdain.

Taking a deep breath and blocking out the surge of pain, Grimmjow forced himself up into a seated position. It was a miracle that his wound had healed as much as it had, given that he had been practically cleaved in half by that bastard Nnoitra. Grimmjow's incredible reiatsu had healed some of his wounds, enough to stop the bleeding around his heart and lungs, but he was still in absolutely no shape to be moving around.

Still, instinct and experience alike told him that he had to go hunt down some food. His reiatsu was dangerously low, having been quickly and completely depleted from his fight with Ichigo and from his body's natural self-healing mechanism. Grimmjow was as weak as a kitten in this condition, and he even swayed against the wind as he got to his feet.

Grimmjow was ravenous. If he didn't eat something soon, he would expire from sheer reiatsu deficiency. He had been in this sort of situation many times before as an Adjucas, felt the rush of the hunger and the sweet salivation when he would come across his target. This time, however, he was too close to the edge. He felt like at any moment, he would fall over and lose consciousness, this time for good. He dragged his feet forward through the white sand, each step a greater exertion than the last.

Grimmjow couldn't help but grin when he felt someone approach him. "Grimmjow-sama," the Numero gasped, himself a shamble of a Hollow. "Aizen-sama has been defeated, Las Noches has fallen into chaos. Please bring some order…" The naive, nameless Numero was silenced by a swift, bloody jab through the gut. Grimmjow's grin twisted maniacally as the Numero cried out in shock and horror before being devoured, existing no more.

Wiping his mouth, Grimmjow smiled. "That's the good stuff." Feeling just a little bit stronger than before, Grimmjow moved forward in search of a more satisfying snack.

After devouring all the remaining arrancar in Las Noches, Grimmjow was still severely low on reiatsu. As it was, Grimmjow was a lion feasting on mice. It seemed that no matter how many he ate, it was never enough to bring him back to his usual reiatsu level. It was like raindrops falling into a lake. It hardly made any difference. Grimmjow couldn't help but miss those spirit-replenishing capsules Aizen always carried on him.

Even while continuing to feast, Grimmjow was on his last legs. He needed to heal his injuries before they killed him. It was time for something bold.

* * *

It had been a few hours since he had awakened, a disgusting gooey feeling soaking through his broken skin. For a long time after he had regained some form of consciousness, he was unable to so much as open his eyes and see where he was. Other than the goo, he didn't feel a thing, not sand, not wind. If he had been moved, he would not have known.

Sometimes, he could hear things, sounds that came in muffled waves, as if he were underwater. Mostly what he heard was crying, but once, he heard yelling coming from all around him. He tried to move, to defend himself, but his body would not respond. Eventually, the yelling stopped, and he once again faded into unconsciousness.

He recognized the crying, even though he had never heard it before. Sometimes, his scattered thoughts understood exactly what was happening to him, but he was quick to forget, and for that, he was glad. He didn't want to believe that she would do this to him. He knew that she was a spectacular bitch, but she had never before done something this horrible to him.

Unfortunately, all of his fears were proven justified when he opened his eyes and was staring right into her butterscotch eyes bright with hope. He managed a deep guttural groan as her face broke into a smile and new tears gathered in her eyes.

"He's awake! He's awake," Nel cried joyously. Her head swung around, turning towards her two brothers. Nnoitra groaned again, his one eye rolling back into his head. If this wasn't hell…

"Nnoitra-sama! Nnoitra-sama," Nel yelled into his face. "How do you feel?! Are you alright?"

"Damn it, Neliel," Nnoitra groaned, trying with the best of his ability to lift his hand and wrap it around Nel's thin throat. His arm hardly twitched. "What the hell d'ya think you're doing?" Nel's smile dropped from her face.

"Nel couldn't just let you die…" Nel's eyes turned solemn, watching him with that look of hers that always made him uncomfortable. Nnoitra heard some scampering, and he caught sight of that fraccion of hers in his peripheral vision.

"We should go, Nel-sama," Dondo Chakka pressed, nervous eyes darting back and forth from Nel to Nnoitra. "He's almost healed now, Nel-sama, we should go now before he does anything." Nel looked down at the incapacitated Nnoitra with those same eyes of hers.

"Nel can't leave him like this," she murmured, her child-like lisp not taking away from the strangely mature tone in her voice. "He'll be killed."

Nnoitra opened his mouth, but all that came out was a rasping sound, and he felt something burst open in his throat. He coughed up dark crimson blood and Nel cried out in shock.

"Be careful, Nnoitra-sama," Nel urged, fear in her eyes. "You still aren't fully healed yet, you've got to be careful with your body!" Nnoitra, in all the years he had known her and hated her, had never cursed her as fervently as he was now. His eye narrowed in unbridled hatred, his body trapped in motionlessness.

"Hold still," Nel ordered, taking hold of Nnoitra's long face on each side with her tiny plump hands. With no more warning, she opened her mouth and let a hefty amount of drool fall from her mouth into his. Nnoitra's eye widened beyond belief, but without his usual recourse of violence, he was powerless against this child. Trapped in his own body, Nnoitra couldn't even manage to struggle away.

Nel smiled a goofy smile. "Don't worry, Nnoitra-sama, Nel will make you all better!"

"Nel-sama," Pesche pressed, "if you want to bring Nnoitra with us, we need to go immediately." Nel's eyes dulled slightly in sadness.

"They're coming for Nel again?" Pesche and Dondo Chakka glanced at each other, and then at Nnoitra, whose reiatsu was currently erupting outwards like a broken dam. He reeked of bloodied, injured prey to the hungry sharks of Hueco Mundo.

"Yes, Nel-sama, it cannot be helped," Pesche explained. "We have to keep moving further." Nel looked down onto her lap at her tiny clenched fists.

"Okay."

* * *

Time passed and Nel began to worry. Although her special healing goo had closed off Nnoitra's external injuries, his reiatsu was continually decreasing. She suspected internal damage. At the rate he was shedding power, she feared Nnoitra really would die. Her eyes glowing with sadness gazed steadily upon the man's exhausted body.

"He needs food," Nel concluded, shocking her two companions.

"B-B-But, Nel-sama," Dondo Chakka spluttered, "please think rationally. If we go searching for food, we might be faced with exposure. And if Nnoitra is allowed to recuperate completely, he will-"

"I know," Nel cut in, eyes still intent on the man sprawled on the floor of the cave. "But I can't let him die like this." Dondo Chakka hesitated.

"How _would_ you have him die, Neliel-sama?" Pesche asked after a long, poignant moment.

Nel did not respond.

* * *

And so Dondo Chakka and Pesche set off in search of food, leaving Bawabawa to protect Nel and Nnoitra. They sat concealed in a large underground cavern just below the sand. It was one of the few deposits of sekkiseki in Hueco Mundo, and was perfect for concealment. Dondo Chakka and Pesche, who knew what to look for, had come upon it by a stroke of luck, and the plan was to remain hidden there until things calmed down on the surface.

Grimmjow, however, was an expert hunter, and not to be underestimated. He knew that he needed to go for the big kill, and perhaps the biggest kills left in Hueco Mundo were Nnoitra and Nel. Grimmjow knew they were out there somewhere. It was only a matter of time before he found them. All this, Nel was fully aware of.

But what was she to do? She needed to protect Pesche, Dondo Chakka and, yes, even Nnoitra, her incapacitated tormentor. If she and her companions managed to make it to the Vasto Lordes, then they perhaps might be able to offer some help. The Vasto Lordes had always been sympathetic to her. However, the chances that they'd reach their camps in time and unharmed were slim to none.

The amount of reiatsu that Nnoitra was lacking was monumental. He was probably the most powerful being left in Hueco Mundo, and he was on the brink of death. All the Hollows in the world might not satisfy his hunger. And no amount of conventional healing would help that. There seemed to be only one hope.

* * *

The reiatsu of an arrancar shook the world. In the school hallway, Ulquiorra's eyes widened and his heart nearly jumped from his chest. He had one thought.

"Orihime," he called, nearly silently, as he opened the window he had been leaning against. He tried to extract himself from his body, just as he had while fighting Ichigo, but he somehow found himself unable to. Ulquiorra froze in horror. What happened to him?

But that was not the main concern at the moment. He was about to jump from the window when Tatsuki pulled him back by the shirt. "What the hell are you doing? Are you trying to kill yourself?!" Ulquiorra turned back and saw Uryuu running towards the staircase. Wordlessly, Ulquiorra took the hint, and he and Tatsuki soon caught up to Uryuu.

"This reiatsu is familiar," Uryuu noted, trying to put his finger on it.

"Grimmjow Jeagerjacques, Sexta Espada," Ulquiorra stated. His two companions swung their heads towards him.

"He's the one who's after Orihime," Tatsuki grappled with the realization. "Shit, Orihime's in danger!"

"Ichigo's with her," Uryuu tried to rationalize as they were exiting the school. "He will be able to protect her until we get there." As the group emerged into the sunlight, they were met with an unexpected sight.

"I'm sorry," Toushiro Hitsugaya sounded, his face only a mask. "But I cannot let you pass."

* * *

Nel ran and she ran, trying desperately to find the entrance to the cavern. The cave was dark even to her exceptionally strong eyes, and she had trouble remembering where she and her brothers had come in from. Dead end after dead end, Nel struggled on, determined to find the surface.

Only then would she be able to save him. The Sekkiseki stones made it impossible within the cavern. She needed to reach open air. A jagged rock jutting out from the wall of the cave scratched her side painfully. She would find a way. She wouldn't let him die like this.

Somewhere in the darkness below her, a monster stirred awake. Numbly, he wondered where that little child had gone, and why she had left him alone in the darkness.

* * *

"What?" Uryuu questioned disbelievingly. This was the Captain of the Tenth Division, why was he standing in their way? The Quincy turned slightly to gaze at Ulquiorra, who had never looked more high-strung.

"Get out of my way," Ulquiorra commanded, his reiatsu seeping through as heavy blackness.

"I cannot," Toushiro replied blankly. "I have received direct orders from the Commander not to allow the Espada or his allies anywhere near the Espada Grimmjow Jeagerjacques."

"I am no ally of the Espada's," Uryuu replied curtly while quickly approaching the Captain. "Now, this is an emergency. Let me pass." Uryuu nearly walked past the Captain, but Toushiro drew his sword.

"I'm sorry," Toushiro repeated unemotionally. "You have all been branded as possible defectors. Your sympathies with regards to Ulquiorra are considered dangerous. You will not be allowed to approach the other Espada."

"This is ridiculous," Uryuu shot back, eyes narrowing dangerously. "We haven't shown sympathies to all the Adjucas that have appeared here! Soul Society has done nothing to intervene in any of those battles." Before Uryuu could continue, he saw from the corner of his eyes Ulquiorra approaching holding a stick. He was running towards Hitsugaya at full human speed. The stick broke against the side of the Captain's head. Toushiro, completely unharmed, didn't look amused.

Looking at the broken stick in his hand, Ulquiorra simply tossed it away. He threw a fist at the Captain's face instead, and broke two knuckles. Toushiro didn't react. The others were shocked.

"Ulquiorra, stop it," Tatsuki shouted, pulling him back from the Captain. "Do you think this is helping anything?" Ulquiorra was looking down at his broken hand and frowning, as if he was disappointed in the fragility of his bones. Gravely, he looked up at the Captain.

"You must let me pass," Ulquiorra stated in perfect monotone. "You cannot take her away from me." Toushiro stood unmoved and unwavering, with nothing but a slight frown revealing how he felt about the situation.

Uryuu, realizing that the young Captain was never going to back down, took out his bow. "I suppose this is what it has come to." The Quincy's eyes narrowed, and he shot the first arrow, aimed at getting Toushiro away from Ulquiorra and Tatsuki. "This is what to expect from a shinigami. It's too bad, really."

Toushiro released his shikai, and immediately froze a wide radius of land, effectively preventing Ulquiorra and Tatsuki from making a run for it. Toushiro frowned at the desperation clear in the arrancar's eyes. He turned back towards Uryuu. "That it is."

* * *

"Ya surprised to see me, chick?" Grimmjow shouted as his feet touched the ground. Despite the trembling in his knees, he made sure to show no sign of weakness.

"What do you want, Grimmjow?" Ichigo shouted back, abandoning his body and clutching his sword in both calloused hands. His eyes shone bright with determination. "The fight's over, just go home."

"Go home?" Grimmjow barked out with a laugh. "There was never a home for me." His face split in a grin, and he pointed to his blood-stained bandages. "B'sides, the chick owes me a favour." Orihime's eyes widened in horror, but she remained silent. "If I hadn't sealed Ulquiorra in the Caja Negacion, then the coward probably would have died already. It's cause of me that he's alive now, so I figure it's about time you do something for me, chick." Grimmjow smiled at his flawless logic.

Ichigo's expression turned contemplative. "Is that really all you're here for?"

"Why d'ya ask, Kurosaki?" Grimmjow taunted. "Are you bored? It's no fun living in peace, is it?"

"That's not what I meant," Ichigo bit back. "I'm not what you think I am." He tightened his grip on Zangetsu.

Grimmjow laughed loudly. "Defensive aren't we?" he replied patronizingly, positively oozing smug amusement. His eyes were heavy with indulgence. Ichigo growled. Orihime was silent.

"If Inoue heals you," Ichigo demanded, "do you promise to leave and never come back?"

"Maybe," was his obnoxious reply. "What if there's nothing interesting to do in Hueco Mundo, and I wanna come down here and tear your guts out?"

"Fuck off, Grimmjow," Ichigo barked, and then tried to calm himself down. "We aren't going to do this again. There's no point."

"Che," Grimmjow dismissed, ambling around. "Who would've thought you'd turn into such a pussy…" Ichigo growled again.

"Get out of here," he repeated. "You don't want to do this."

Grimmjow laughed. "I think you're the one who doesn't want to do this." He shot a snide glare at Ichigo. "I think you're scared."

"I'm not scared of you," Ichigo growled.

The arrancar circled around Ichigo and Orihime like a panther on the prowl. "No, you're not scared of me. You're scared of yourself. Of what you are." He grinned, and suddenly, he was shouting. Grimmjow drew his sword and charged towards Ichigo. "You think repressing it will change anything? You don't know shit!"

Ichigo's eyes widened as he blocked the attack, propelled backwards by the force of his opponent's sword. Grimmjow drew back and slashed again. "The animal is who you really are, Kurosaki!" Ichigo stumbled back in shock. "Even if you crush it down, it'll never leave you! It'll eat you bit by bit until there's nothing left!" Ichigo pushed Grimmjow back.

"You don't know anything, Grimmjow," Ichigo shouted back. "I'm not going to lose myself!"

Grimmjow laughed. "You already have." He motioned with his head towards the terrified Orihime still sitting where Ichigo had left her. "Everything you have is gonna be taken over by monsters. It's all rotting, Kurosaki!"

Orihime's eyes widened. "W-What?" Ichigo tightened his grip on his sword.

"You thought you could protect that chick, but she still belongs to Ulquiorra, doesn't she?" Grimmjow shouted. "He's got you fooled badly, Kurosaki!"

"What do you mean?" Ichigo demanded. Orihime's mouth opened, as if to say something. She stood up on shaky knees, almost numbly.

"You're thinking he's like a human," Grimmjow bellowed, "but really, it's you who's becoming more like a Hollow! You can't even tell the difference anymore, can you?" The arrancar charged forward again, and Ichigo jumped out of the way, Grimmjow right behind. Grimmjow slashed, and Ichigo manoeuvred a safe distance away from the arrancar. The look in Ichigo's eyes made Grimmjow erupt in laughter.

Orihime watched noiselessly from the ground with large eyes. "No. That's not true."

Even as Grimmjow quieted down, a satisfied grin stretching his face, his shallow blue eyes still laughed. "You and Ulquiorra are the same. You're pretending you don't know what you are. But you're both just scared shitless of the animal inside –" Grimmjow stopped himself when he caught sight of a golden projectile shooting up from the ground. He started to laugh.

He reached his hand out to catch Tsubaki. "You think this could hurt me, little gi-" Just when Grimmjow was to close his hand around Tsubaki, the sprite tore through the arrancar's hand and dove right into his chest. In a shower of golden light and blood, Tsubaki came out the other way. All eyes turned to Orihime. Her face was blank to the point of eeriness, only a slight frown on her lips.

Grimmjow allowed himself to drift down to the earth, hoping to preserve some precious energy and to tear out Orihime's heart. Ichigo returned to ground level too, getting between Orihime and the murderous arrancar. Orihime walked forward, eyes on the heavily injured arrancar currently coughing blood up on the pavement.

"Inoue, how –" Ichigo stopped as Orihime walked right past him, Tsubaki, equally unreadable, perched gently on her shoulder. Ichigo turned around and took hold of Orihime's wrist. After a moment, she turned to face the shinigami, who was looking at her with intense eyes. "It's dangerous." But Orihime's eyes were hardened by determination, and, in a flash, Ichigo understood how important it was to Orihime to defend Ulquiorra. He released his grip on her wrist.

"You fucking bitch. I'm going to –" Grimmjow hacked up more blood. Orihime looked down at the crouched animal with empty eyes.

"You don't know Ulquiorra," Orihime stated gravely, more grimly than anyone would have thought her capable of. "You'll never know Ulquiorra. Don't you dare pretend you understand him."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Grimmjow growled. But Orihime was done talking to him. She turned to walk away, and Grimmjow made a move to attack her from behind.

Wordlessly, Orihime put up her healing shield, trapping Grimmjow within it. Whether it was the intoxicating warmth of the shield that caused Grimmjow to lose consciousness, or that Grimmjow, who was already on his last legs before his arrival, had finally reached his limit, was unknown. But the loud thump as the arrancar's body bent over and fell onto the hard concrete caused Orihime to turn back towards the fallen Hollow with distinct worry in her eyes.

The moment had passed, and Orihime realized what she had done. She looked at the crumpled person bleeding on the pavement and brought her hands over her mouth in shock. She had shot Tsubaki at him, something she had been unable to do for the longest time. Not only that, but her attack had held outstanding power, enough power to injure an Espada. A weakened and dying one, but an Espada nonetheless.

"For a split second," Tsubaki, still perched on the girl's shoulder, answered her unspoken question, "you really wanted to kill him. That's how you were able to do it."

The girl's eyes widened in disbelief. "I wanted to kill…" She drifted off.

"Yeah," Tsubaki intoned, watching the arrancar's injuries close up. "I was beginning to think the only thing that could make you react with such killing intent would be the murder of your friends. Flying off the handle like this over a crazy man's goading…" Tsubaki tapped the side of Orihime's head with a gentle little hand. "I'd hate to say it, but I'm proud of you, chick."

Orihime frowned, unsure that she liked her new-found power, and brought her hands to the shield to speed up the healing process. Tears were gathered at the corner of her eyes.

Ichigo was still trying to wrestle out an appropriate response to Orihime's strange and murderous fury, so sudden and fleeting that he could hardly convince himself it had happened at all. As a welcome distraction from his stupor, a flash caught Ichigo's eyes, and he swung his head around to face an unusual sight.

In confusion, Ichigo noted that there seemed to be a chain of mountains made of ice just a few kilometres away, almost blending into the blue of the sky. He scratched his head, wondering if all of this was just a strange, very realistic hallucination, as he watched bright, needle-like arrows breaking down the ice. The ice, almost like it was alive, quickly regenerated each time. Ichigo was dumbfounded.

"Um, Kurosaki-kun," Orihime said from right behind him, making him jump. "I healed Grimmjow, but he's still unconscious. What should we do with him?" Ichigo was distracted. He pointed to the icy mountain range.

"Do you see that?" Ichigo asked, eyes wide open with astonishment. Orihime squinted.

"It would seem," Orihime noted, "that Ishida-kun and Toushiro-kun are fighting."

"But what about the mountains?" Ichigo questioned. "Toushiro doesn't usually do that. And why would they be fighting? If anything, Toushiro should have been here to help deal with Grimmjow."

Orihime looked up at Ichigo uncertainly. "We should go find out what's happening. Something bad could have happened and it probably has something to do with Ulquiorra."

Ichigo laughed anxiously, suddenly embarrassed all over again about the whole confession thing. "Yeah, but what should we do with Grimm…jow…" Ichigo turned around, looking for Grimmjow with his eyes, only to find that he wasn't there. "Where the hell'd he go?"

* * *

At first it was just a gentle tapping of the fingers. Bawabawa didn't notice. He tried to open his mouth, and he found that he was able to. There was no pain. He moved his arms, moved his legs. Just a very little amount pain. Bawabawa turned towards him. Nnoitra sat up and coughed up blood. _That_ had hurt. Nnoitra turned to face with hunger in his eyes his only companion in the dark cave. Bawabawa's natural fight or flight instinct took over, and he threw himself into the ceiling of the cave, digging his way upward.

Nnoitra looked at the display and laughed out loud, despite the immense pain. He looked around, and found his unreleased sword wrapped in a dirty brown cloth. Frowning, he took hold of it in one hand. He still didn't have the strength even to release it, but it was still good to have it back. Nnoitra saw the reflection of his one eye in the gleam of the sword.

With this blade, he thought, Nnoitra would make Neliel regret the day she saw him as anything more than a monster.

* * *

Toushiro had no trouble blocking the Quincy's attacks with his bankai. Even when his phone rang, he was able to keep up his defence and effectively prevent the Espada or his comrades from making their way to the place of battle. Toushiro answered his cell phone while throwing a wave of ice towards the resilient Quincy.

"Captain Hitsugaya Toushiro speaking," the boy greeted emotionlessly.

"Hitsugaya-taicho," the thunderous voice of Commander Yamamoto sounded. "The Sixth Espada has been neutralized. Your orders are to cease all military action and to return to your previous mission. Your objective has been broadened to include the watching of the Forth Espada and all those who show sympathy to him, including the shinigami. I expect a full report by 2200 local time, tonight. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," Toushiro replied faithfully, clicking the phone shut, and immediately sealed his sword, dissolving all the ice in the area. Uryuu looked up at the Captain with bitterness.

"Orders to step down?" Uryuu sneered.

"Correct," Toushiro stated, still letting none of his apprehension show. In the corner of his eye, he caught Ichigo and Orihime emerge from the band of forest into the school grounds. They looked up at him with confused eyes, but they were met with only the dull ice-blue of his pupils.

Ulquiorra caught sight of Orihime and ran to her with urgency.

"Ulquiorra, I'm so glad you're alright," Orihime exclaimed, smiling wildly with relief. "I thought for sure – Oh!" Ulquiorra gathered Orihime up in his arms and spun her around before holding her close to him. Orihime blushed at the unexpected show of affection. "U-Ulquiorra…"

"You are never to leave my side again," Ulquiorra whispered sharply into Orihime's hair as he held her tightly. "That is an order." Orihime giggled nervously, and wrapped her arms around the arrancar. After a moment, she pulled back to look at him. His face was as stoic as usual, but his eyes were filled with a melancholy tenderness.

"Orihime," Tatsuki shouted. "Thank God!" Ulquiorra and Orihime separated as Tatsuki, Ichigo and Uryuu approached.

"What the hell were you doing fighting Toushiro?" Ichigo demanded. "And what was with all the ice?"

"It would seem," Uryuu explained, "that Soul Society is uncomfortable with our acceptance of Ulquiorra's presence in the Material world." Orihime and Ichigo's eyes widened in shock and horror.

"More importantly," Ulquiorra pressed, still holding Orihime around the waist. "Where is Grimmjow? You did not kill him and he did not open Garganta, but I cannot sense his reiatsu."

Orihime and Ichigo glanced at each other for a second. "Vanished," they both said. Uryuu and Tatsuki blanched. Ulquiorra glared at Orihime in disbelief.

"How could you possibly lose track of someone like Grimmjow so easily?" Ulquiorra demanded. The guy was built like a bear, dressed all in white and had electric blue hair. He was impossible not to be aware of.

"Well, I finished healing him," Orihime explained, "but I didn't really know what to do with him, because he was unconscious. I went to ask Kurosaki-kun, and when we turned back, he was just… gone."

Ulquiorra stared at Orihime blankly. "You're saying you let Grimmjow out of your sight, for even a second? Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?"

"He was unconscious," Orihime reminded, pouting.

"Nonetheless," Ulquiorra pressed. "Do you have any sense of self-preservation at all?"

As the couple bickered, Tatsuki noticed that Uryuu seemed unusually tense. His arm was crossed over his chest and his hand was brought to his chin in a look of deep contemplation. The look might have been amusing to Tatsuki if it wasn't for the dead seriousness in his eyes and the tangible air of apprehension surrounding him. "What's up, Ishida?"

The Quincy replied, still immersed in his thoughts. "It just doesn't add up." Uryuu looked up to Orihime and Ulquiorra with calculating eyes. Looking at the situation objectively, those two were exceptional in their uniqueness…

* * *

The Hollow had led Rukia and Yasutora for quite a run. The Adjucas looked like a skeletal albatross, wings barely feathered with deep purple cartilage feathers. Despite its massive size, it was quick to dodge any of Yasutora's or Rukia's attacks, and it became quite a hassle to fight. The Hollow led the pair into a dense forest with thick underbrush and uneven terrain. Whenever either tried to jump above the trees, the Hollow would catch them unaware and shoot a highly acidic solution from glands in its mouth.

On ground level, the orange canopy of leaves hid the Adjucas, and as the two were trying to aim their attacks properly, while not tripping, they didn't notice as the forest broke off into air and they were looking down a forty-foot drop. There to greet them was the Adjucas, mouth opened wildly, ready to devour them. The Hollow was a split second too slow, and Rukia managed to block the creature's bestial charge with her sword. Yasutora then punched the winged Adjucas with enough energy to burst every cell in the being's body. The Hollow disintegrated with a scream, as Rukia tried to steady herself against the edge of the cliff.

Disaster averted, the two were able to focus on the next most urgent thing that they were faced with: Grimmjow was in the Material World, fighting Ichigo. As they ran back out of the forest, they followed closely what was going on with their friends. The two, confused, became aware that Uryuu and Captain Hitsugaya were also engaged in battle. Something terrible must have happened for Soul Society to send a Captain to the Material World. Both fights ended before Rukia and Yasutora had even left the forest.

They were rushing back to the school to meet up with their nakama when it happened. At first, it was a momentary bleep on Rukia's internal radar. She stopped for a moment, concentrating hard on the reiatsu.

"What's wrong?" Yasutora's deep voice asked.

Rukia couldn't feel the reiatsu anymore. She turned warily back towards the road ahead. "Nothing. I thought I felt something." The two continued running.

Barely two minutes later, Rukia felt it again, and halted immediately. Yasutora looked at her with serious eyes. "Maybe we should check it out," the man voiced in a deep rumble. Rukia nodded, and they both suppressed their reiatsu and dashed down a street to their left.

Leaving the main street lined with commercial stores, the two found themselves in a manufacturing area. Warehouses and the occasional factory flew by as Rukia and Yasutora searched the area for the strange reiatsu. Finally, Rukia stopped before a wide grey warehouse, eyes hard and her hand over her sword. She slid open the door.

Neither Rukia or Yasutora knew what they had been expecting, but it certainly wasn't what they found beyond the warehouse door. An aluminum crate had been moved from the neat piles at the back of the warehouse to the center of the structure. Powerful lights had been set up all around the crate, all pointing directly at the being lying lifelessly upon it. Even naked, the being was easily recognizable, with his shocking blue hair, as none other than Grimmjow Jeagerjacques. Also easily recognizable, to Rukia at least, was Kurotsuchi Nemu, fukutaicho of the Twelfth Division, wrist-deep in Grimmjow's innards.

"What," Rukia choked out in shock, "is going on here?" Nemu, noticing the presence of intruders, did not look particularly perturbed.

"Release the gas," she said simply into her earpiece, and returned to work, scalpel in hand.

"Hey," Rukia shouted, stepping forward. "What are you doing to him?" She and Yasutora tried to move in towards the horrific scene, to stop this terrible injustice, when their worlds started to tilt. Their faces hit the concrete, but neither felt the impact. A moment later, both lost consciousness.


	19. Awareness

Fascination is a strange thing.

It's a fixation, a spark set off in the heart. It's when something or someone is of a nature so intensely interesting that, as if by some magic, one cannot resist its allure. It's the rush of the unknown, the intrigue of a strange game of which you don't know the rules, but you just can't stop playing. It's an addiction to something so strange and so foreign that it threatens to shake the foundation of who you are and what you believe the world to be. It could lead you to rapture or it could lead you to madness.

Fascination is what had driven the life of Aizen Sousuke.

What did it mean to be a shinigami? What did it mean to be a Hollow? How did these two beings come to be? What was the meaning of their existence, of their eternal struggle against each other? Why was it that no one seemed to have the answer? Perhaps only God knew.

Fascination is what drove the life of Urahara Kisuke.

The Universe was a mysterious place, there was so much yet to be understood. What happened to a dead person when they died? What happens to the souls consumed by Hollows? If this was a closed Universe, where did the souls go? Was there really a difference between a Hollow soul and a shinigami soul?

Fascination is what touched the life of Ulquiorra Schiffer.

Inoue Orihime tilted his world, setting herself at the center of his existence. She was an angel, a Goddess, worth more to Ulquiorra than his own eyes. Without a heart, he wondered, could a Hollow ever love?

The answer to Ulquiorra's most important question, perhaps, was the same answer sought by Urahara Kisuke and Aizen Sousuke.

* * *

"Damn it, Rukia, pick up," Ichigo whispered into the receiver of his father's shinigami phone, fingers tense around it with frustration. His other palm was pressed down on the kitchen counter forcefully, and he leaned on it as if he somehow wanted to punish the smooth surface. "Where the hell is she?"

Sitting at his kitchen table, Orihime looked worried. Her back curbed and her palms pressed nervously upon the seat of the wood chair beneath her, she turned her gaze to Ulquiorra sitting upright beside her, ignorant to how out of place he looked there. "Sado-kun isn't back yet either…"

It had been an eventful day. Just as the teenagers had been getting back in the groove of their everyday lives, they were bombarded from all sides by the most unexpected people. Grimmjow returned from the abyss, bloodied, dying, and cursing as loud as ever. Hitsugaya Toushiro emerged as a startling and, honestly, illogical obstacle. And making the whole parade of fighting friends and foes even more ridiculous was that Ulquiorra, the former Espada, seemed to be a more reliable ally then anyone from Soul Society.

Just when everyone thought that the battle was over, the group came to a horrid realization: Rukia and Yasutora weren't coming back. They hadn't just suppressed their reiatsu, they had fallen straight off the face of the Earth. No one had felt either of them become injured, neither had ever been on the verge of dying. They had concealed their reiatsu at some point, and just never uncovered it again. It seemed to be impossible to locate their energies anywhere. Just what in the world had happened?

After all the strange events of preceding days, this event caused the tension to crack into full-fledged fear.

"I can no longer sense either of their reiatsu," the Arrancar stated monotonously, his back stiff against his chair. Yuzu placed a platter of cookies at the center of the table, and, sensing that she shouldn't stick around, scuttled timidly out of the room. Isshin was still there, though, leaning casually against the kitchen counter with his arms crossed. His mild eyes never left Ulquiorra, not for a second.

"It's getting late," Uryuu noted, looking out at the falling sun, blue eyes deep with tumult. "We should go search for them. We might be able to find clues in the reiatsu patterns."

"I agree," Ulquiorra said, surprising all. Despite the events of the last few days, Ulquiorra's presence among them was still difficult to adjust to. "It has only been two hours since we have lost track of them. Any battle would have been long over; we have no reason to think that they should not have come back by now. I believe that I could find where they began suppressing their reiatsu. We should depart immediately." The teenagers looked at each other a moment, and abruptly Orihime stood up.

"Let's go right away, then," she exclaimed, determination in her brow and a slight pout on her lips. Isshin watched with apprehension as the search party set off in search of their missing friends.

Isshin wasn't worried about his son, Ichigo. He knew his son's heart was in the right place; Ichigo was tough, and with Orihime there, a few bruises or severed limbs weren't such a big deal. However, a cute little girl like Orihime, whose innocence and integrity so reminded him of his beloved Masaki, shouldn't be getting mixed up with stuff like this, Isshin decided. Even Rukia, who Isshin had a soft spot for but also knew to be a hardened soldier, should never have been pulled into this.

This problem was born in another generation, and yet it was always these children that were left to deal with it. Isshin didn't have the time to sigh before noticing an old friend perched casually on his window sill, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"The portal is almost ready," Urahara Kisuke stated. Isshin's eyes narrowed.

"You realize this is your fault, don't you?" Isshin demanded mildly, still looking steadily out the window across from him.

Kisuke frowned, clenching and unclenching the cane in his hand. "Of course I do."

* * *

"I have brought the specimen, as well as two intruders, Father."

"Don't interrupt me when I'm busy. Dump the bodies over there."

"Yes, Father."

"The big one is interesting, but why would you bring me a shinigami? There's nothing special about her."

"She intruded."

"Well, what am I supposed to do with her, you stupid girl?"

"I'm sorry, Father."

"No matter. I'll find something to use her for. Pass me that syringe."

"Yes, Father."

* * *

The sun had fallen past the horizon by the time Ichigo, Tatsuki, Uryuu, Orihime and Ulquiorra had tracked down the point where Rukia and Yasutora had begun suppressing their reiatsu. They stood in a loose circle, Ulquiorra standing slightly behind Orihime, as they contemplated the situation.

"The only reason that Kuchiki-san and Sado would have of suppressing their reiatsu," Uryuu stated, "is if they were either hiding from something or sneaking up on something."

"The Hollow they were facing wasn't strong enough to warrant their hiding from it," Ulquiorra noted. "Furthermore, no Hollow has recently left an imprint in this area."

"Maybe they were running from something. Grimmjow did vanish around the time they disappeared, you know," Ichigo suggested, scratching his head as if to encourage its inner working.

"I don't think so," Orihime said shyly. She pointed down the street. "If they were going in a straight line down to here, and they just stopped so suddenly in front of this street, I think that Kuchiki-san and Sado-kun might have sensed something strange in that direction. They must have wanted to check it out, so they suppressed their reiatsu so they could get closer to it without it noticing." Orihime pointed down the street to their left, and Ulquiorra nodded.

"I would have to agree," he stated. "That is the most logical conclusion."

"It will be difficult to trace their reiatsu from this point," Uryuu said. "We will have to search the area thoroughly." The teenagers set off down the street, and split up.

* * *

Finally emerging onto the sandy surface, Nel took in a deep sigh of relief. Her muscles ached from the exertion the steep climb had required of her. She looked up at the eternally-crescent moon and swore again to herself that she would protect him. Her eyes hardened again in determination. She summoned Garganta.

Taking a deep breath, knowing that she needed to be strong, Nel's tiny feet took the first steps into the darkness. All sound lost to her the moment the darkness enveloped her ears, Nel didn't notice as Bawabawa dove up from the sand a few hundred meters behind her, followed quickly by Nnoitra, his spidery fingers wrapped around the Hollow's tail.

Nnoitra's quick eyes caught a glimpse of Nel as she faded into the darkness. In a moment she was gone, and Garganta closed up after her. Nnoitra, mouth to Bawabawa's tail, smiled.

His own malicious plans distracting him, Nnoitra was unable to defend himself when Bawabawa's large head smacked him down against the sand, crushing the defenceless insect into the ground.

* * *

Panting against the cold night air, Ichigo punch the wall of a warehouse in frustration. He had been searching tirelessly for 2 hours and 23 minutes. He had found absolutely nothing.

No trace of reiatsu. No ice, no holes in the walls. No evidence of a struggle. Not a single hair left on the street.

Yasutora was his best friend. Rukia was his rhyme and reason. The loss of either would be the death of his soul. The loss of both would be the death of the world.

That was why they had to be out there. They had to be okay.

Struggling against his human lungs, Ichigo ran down the lonely street.

* * *

"How's the cellular sample?" The voice belonged to man in a face mask, whose skin was of a bruised purple colour. He held a scalpel. A dull ache was felt by the victim beneath the scalpel.

"Fascinating. The volume of mitochondria in the arm tissue is astounding. Packed together like I've never seen! The Captain will be interested." No mouth could be attributed to this second voice. Sharp needles of pain punctuated the dull ache.

"It's great to have a real live human to research," a pig-like man cheered joyfully. He neglected his post at the computers to chat with his coworkers. "Living things have such complex anatomy. Not at all like souls." The needles of pain grew in intensity. The feeling was more akin to stabs than needles.

The man with the scalpel's eyes stared intently into the bloody gash he had made. "You should check the DNA of the mitochondria. It might provide insight into –"

"I was already doing that, Minchin," the second voice snapped. "Could you just back off and let me do my damn job in peace once in a while." The victim on the surgical table wanted to scream out the pain.

"Things are getting testy," the pig-like shinigami noted in a sing-song voice. He almost smiled. The victim wanted to thrash about, but the body and the soul were linked only by pain.

"Geez, why so touchy?" the bruised man, Minchin, asked calmly, still intent on his work. "I was just reminding you. Don't you remember, last week you forgot to –"

"Oh, will you just fuck the hell off?" the second voice demanded. "I'm trying to do my job here, but you just can't stop with the fucking questions. How the hell am I supposed to concentrate with all this noise?" The victim wished, for the first time in a long time, for death. The heart pumped blood like it never had before.

"What's the mitochondria DNA like?" The first man changed the subject.

"Odd," the second man replied gruffly. "There are genes that code for ATP, but other genes code for something completely different... What the fuck's with this protein... It's not on the database?"

"Ohh, how interesting!" The pig-like man glowed, eyes bright with curiosity. The victim's pain became unbearable.

"This is frustrating..." the man in the surgical mask mumbled. "The bleeding has increased radically..." The bruise-coloured shinigami brought his index finger to his subject's neck, pressed firmly against a main artery.

"Wilchuwo," Minchin started slowly. "What is the test subject's heart pressure?" Wilchuwo, the pig-like shinigami, turned back to his station for the first time in half an hour.

"167 over 112," Wilchuwo read carelessly from the machine. "Aaaand, according to the bispectral index monitor, the subject has been continuously rising to surgical awareness... since... 23 minutes ago."

"What?" started the shinigami working the genome decoder and the electron microscope equipment. "All this time and you didn't even notice? What did the Captain ever want with you, incompetent bum!"

"Calm yourself, Dentran," Minchin chided, still dissecting. "It's not such a big deal. He'll apply some more anaesthetic and the subject's heart rate will drop again."

"Why the hell do you always side with Wilchuwo? Because he's banging your God-ugly sister?" Wilchuwo laughed uproariously.

Minchin's grip on his scalpel tightened. "Malentia's a beautiful individual and she could have any shinigami she wanted. If she wants Wilchuwo..."

"No one wants Wilchuwo," Dentran argued, "hideous people settle for Wilchuwo. He's ugly as sin, just like your sister."

"You know, Dentran," Minchin grounded out threateningly through clenched teeth, "I'm really sick of you calling my sister ugly. You know she's had trouble with men. You used to love her, you should have just a little compassion." Wilchuwo laughed again.

"Oh, I have compassion," Dentran claimed, really riled up now. "I'd fuck her if she begged me." He chuckled. "I mean, if she put a paper bag over her head first."

Wilchuwo hooted with laughter. "Ohh, that's a good one!"

Minchin frowned beneath his surgical mask. "Wilchuwo!"

After that, things happened very quickly.

In a second, the plastic binds holding the subject down snapped like lightning. Three screams were heard simultaneously, and all were silenced nearly immediately by a powerful roundhouse kick. Unconscious and bleeding on the floor, the biologists were powerless to stop the powerful man's utter destruction of their laboratory. He destroyed the equipment, the samples, and the surgical tables.

As trained fighters rushed to the scene, the naked man turned slowly towards the door. His arms were cut open and nearly turned inside-out. Holes punctured through his gut continued to bleed profusely, the blood making tracts down his naked body. Only his eyes, covered by a disarray of earth-coloured hair, expressed his agony.

"Where am I?" The man asked simply. Looking upon the strange-looking and oddly-dressed guards, the man was confused. Despite their strange apparel, however, they held very recognizable swords. "Is this... Soul Society?"

* * *

Ichigo, Orihime, Uryuu, Tatsuki, and Ulquiorra had split up and searched every square foot in an eight-block radius from the point of disappearance. Four hours later, there was still no sign of Rukia or Yasutora, or anything out of the ordinary, for that matter.

When the teenagers had reassembled, forced to conclude that their friends were definitely not in the area, they went back to the main street and considered where else Rukia and Yasutora might have disappeared to. Panic set in slowly.

"What do we do now?" Orihime asked no one in particular, tears of fear gathered in her eyes. "Where could they have gone? What if they really were –"

"Don't think like that, Inoue-san," Uryuu tried to comfort, looking ahead with unfocused eyes, deep in thought. "We would have noticed if Kuchiki-san or Sado were injured, and Ulquiorra said that no one opened Garganta or any other dimensional gates. They couldn't have gone far, I'm sure that they are both fine." Uryuu looked at Orihime with soft eyes, and she smiled at him in gratitude.

"If she's in Soul Society," Ichigo, standing a few yards away from the rest of the group, cursed under his breath. He fought with the paralyzing fear that tightened more around his neck with every passing minute. The unusually-shaken shinigami punched Renji's name into his father's phone, and the search engine provided the number. Ichigo dialled, grumbling to himself all the while. He couldn't be bothered with courtesies. "Renji, is Rukia in Soul Society?"

In another universe, Renji was relaxing at a bar with his friends when his phone rang. Leaning back against his seat leisurely, Renji flipped open the phone and held it to his ear. Ichigo's words made him freeze. He sat up in his chair. "No, you idiot, she's not here. Wasn't she supposed to be back in the Material world by now? Don't tell me you _lost_ her –"

"We lost track of her around four this afternoon," Ichigo pressed urgently, his tone no-nonsense. "She hasn't come back to Soul Society in that time?" Renji was dumbfounded.

"No, she hasn't, not that I know," Renji stood up and left the bar, to the loud protest of his friends. His tattooed brow furrowed in anger. He just _knew_ this would happen... "Maybe you should ask the freakin' _Espada_ you're harbouring?"

Ichigo's voice rose at his friend's suggestive tone. How dare he suggest that Ichigo wouldn't protect her? "Or maybe it's you fuck-ups in Soul Society who think that we're all some sort of traitors? It's not like it'd be the first time you guys try to kill us all because of your own stupidity."

Renji sneered. "You think we'd kill one of our own before that Hollow would? What the hell's wrong with you, Ichigo, open your eyes! You're keepin' a soul-eating monster, don't be surprised when people start going missing!" Renji couldn't believe it. How could Ichigo just let Rukia disappear like that? What the hell had happened to her? Renji rushed to his division headquarters.

"Ulquiorra has nothing to do with it, idiot! He was busy all day trying to get past Toushiro. The kid just attacked him and Ishida and Tatsuki for no fucking good reason, so who's the fucking suspicious one here?" Ichigo raged, venting pent-up frustration. Suddenly, Ichigo's temper and tone cooled into a hard determination. "If I don't find Rukia and Chad by sunrise, I'm going to go to Soul Society and tear everything down until I do."

"Why the fuck would you come all the way down here when you should be looking for them?" Renji demanded as he entered headquarters. "They've gotta be in the Material world, so don't fucking take out this shit on us." Belatedly, he realized what Ichigo had said. "Captain Hitsugaya attacked you?" Renji hadn't even heard that the young Captain had been dispatched to the Living world.

"Yeah, he did," Ichigo seethed. "Just because Ishida and Ulquiorra wanted to go protect Inoue from Grimmjow!" Renji was taken aback.

"Grimmjow was in the Material wor-" At that, the line was cut. Ichigo stared at his phone, wondering how the hell that had happened. Soul Society, the home of the dearly departed, of the greatest powers in the universe, and of third-rate phone service? Too frustrated to continue thinking about it, Ichigo shoved the phone into his pocket roughly.

Ichigo turned back towards his friends to see that they were all watching him with apprehension in their eyes. Orihime seemed to be on the verge of tears again. Ichigo frowned.

"Let's keep looking," he said grimly.

* * *

Garganta opened in the Material world, and Nel fell into a lake. The water was calm, but very cold. She struggled under the weight of her thick clothes and the heavy mask over her head. She was pulled under many times and it was the most she could do to tread water and pull in a few rough gasps of air.

However, Hollows are, if nothing else, slaves to their instincts. Something deep within her shoved Nel down the path of survival. She swam to shore.

Heaving and gagging on all fours, tears burning painfully from her throat, Nel reached dry land. She was in a park. She had no idea where she was or where she needed to go from here.

But time was of the essence. She needed to find Orihime.

* * *

Slowly, Rukia's eyes opened and all she could see was white: a white ceiling, white walls, and white bags hanging from white stands at her side that were surely feeding her general anaesthesia. Rukia's world was so hazy. She tried to determine whether there was anyone else in the room.

Rukia knew she needed to escape. She needed to find Yasutora and get the hell out of this place. Was she in the Twelfth Division? If they could only escape the bounds of the division, Rukia and Yasutora would be able to go to the Thirteenth Division just next door and claim sanctuary with Captain Ukitake. And then when she recovered, Rukia would personally make sure this never happened to anyone again.

Vaguely, Rukia realized that Ichigo was probably worried about her. How much time had passed already? She didn't know. Rukia tried to move her arms, and they twitched slightly.

She knew that there was a wall to the right of her cot. It seemed to be a large room, perhaps they were keeping Yasutora here as well. She forced her head to turn to the left, to see down the length of the room.

Rukia saw that the chamber wasn't as large as it had seemed. It looked to be a holding room. There seemed to be about 6 cots in the room, with enough space between them to facilitate movement and the delivery of conscience-killing anaesthetic. More importantly, there seemed to be only one other person in the room with her. Taking in his blue hair, Rukia sifted through her fogged memory for the man's name.

"Grimm…jow…?" Rukia murmured. The Arrancar was simply lying on the stark white cot, stark naked, and his eyes firmly closed. Behind him, there was only white. The other cots were empty.

Where was Yasutora, why wasn't he here? She needed to find him. And to do that, Rukia needed to get out of here, before the next dosing of anaesthetic kicked in.

Rukia brought her left hand over her stomach, painstakingly slowly, for it took much effort to coax her muscles into responding. She reached to her right forearm, where a single silver needle broke her skin, and tried to grasp onto it. Intent on ripping out the intruding object before the drugs forced her back into slumber, Rukia was mildly surprised to have received a sharp shock through her fingers as she approached the needle. She tried again, and the shock was more forceful. It hurt her fingers.

Brow furrowed in determination, Rukia tried again, faster this time. The shock this time was so powerful it sent trembles through her body and Rukia had to withhold the urge to scream out the pain. Teeth clenched tightly, Rukia realized that if she tried this again, she would lose consciousness. She needed another plan. She raised her left hand and slowly brought it towards the white plastic stand holding up her anaesthetic. If it fell, it might rip out her needle, and she'd be freed. Unfortunately, as she suspected, the machine reacted to her approach the same way the needle did. Rukia clutched to the edge of the abyss.

There was only one thing left to try. She just hoped it wouldn't knock her out.

Her mind still a haze, Rukia looked to the unconscious Grimmjow. Could she really just leave him here?

Rukia extended her pale right hand over across the small space between her cot and Grimmjow's cot. She tried to reach to the thick tube she saw disappear into the skin of his arm, straining herself and fighting off the wave of haze that was overwhelming her again. She scooted over on the cot to try to get closer to Grimmjow, her exhausted muscles fighting against every movement. She pushed herself closer to the edge of the short cot, her other hand trying to grip onto the cot for support.

Her heavy breathing heaving her slight chest, Rukia forced her eyes to remain open. A small shiver shook her naked body as she edged closer and closer to the tube filled with numbing anaesthetic. She was just a hair's breath away from it now, she just had to reach a little farther…

The closer she got, the more desperate she became. She fell to the floor, reaching for the tube all the while. She managed to take firm hold of the tube lodged firmly in the unconscious Arrancar's arm and she dragged it down with her to the ground.

Rukia's numb body hit the floor with a dull thump, the impact leaving only a slight sting on her naked skin. The tubing immediately fell onto her, along with a small shower of blood and an onslaught of milk-coloured drugs pouring in copious amounts from the detached tube. Rukia tried to look up from the floor, to see if there was any reaction from Grimmjow.

Just as she had hoped, her own needle had been pulled out as she fell out of its reach. Instead of being relieved, however, she was worried about the amount of blood flowing freely from her arm. That small needle couldn't really have done so much damage, could it?

Hideously deformed shinigami rushed into the room, but Rukia was only mildly aware of them now. She knew she had to fight them off and run, but her body felt so weak. Her muscles weren't responding, and she was beginning to feel dizzy. She felt the plastic of the shinigami's gloves as two of them heaved her back onto her cot, and another one covered her wounded arm with a thick sanitary bandage. Vaguely, she heard their voices.

"…blood isn't coagulating…" one voice said.

"...must be a side effect…" another voice said. "… should take note for Captain… interesting…"

"…Captain will be angry…" a third voice said.

"…IV came off… put it back before Captain…" Rukia couldn't hear anything after that, for what felt like forever.

The unconscious shinigami was startled awake by a chorus of screams. Her eyes wide open in shock, she saw a naked man attacking the misshapen shinigami, his movements as natural and as fluid as if this whole abduction and experimentation episode hadn't happened.

A wide grin splitting his face, Grimmjow brutally shoved his hand through each of the nurses tending to him and Rukia. They were all dead within ten seconds. Only then did Grimmjow pay attention to Rukia, lying naked on her white cot, with an impossible amount of blood still gushing from her right arm.

Grimmjow's hand wrapped around Rukia's neck, and he pinned her to the wall behind her. "Where the fuck am I?" he asked, rather calmly for him.

Rukia opened her mouth to try to speak. "Soul Society," she mumbled out with a heavy tongue.

Grimmjow looked like he wanted to ask something else as he eyed Rukia suspiciously, but he eventually just let her fall back onto her cot, limp as a rag doll. Rukia watched him with careful eyes. Grimmjow busted out the door of the holding room, ready to get revenge.

Rukia lost awareness then, and when she came to later, she noticed that she was still in the same position Grimmjow had left her in earlier. No one had come to readmit her IV, or to stop the unending bleeding in her forearm. She was now lying in a small puddle of her own blood, a sharp crimson staining the whiteness of the room. Vaguely, Rukia could hear the sound of walls breaking and things exploding. In between those sounds, Rukia heard the sound of her own blood falling in large drops to the floor.

With painstaking slowness, Rukia moved her fingers, moved her toes. She touched her index to her thumb, then her middle finger to her thumb, trying to work some feeling back into her body. Rukia pushed herself up by her palms and rose to a seated position. She felt horribly dizzy, but she knew she needed to hurry.

The most urgent thing was the bleeding. It wouldn't stop. Rukia brought her left hand over her right arm and quickly muttered a spell under her breath. A blue light shone in her hands as she put a ration of her remaining strength into her healing spell.

Rukia had to stop before the wound was fully healed. She needed to retain her strength for what came ahead.

* * *

Byakuya, understandably, was more than a little distressed over the sudden disappearance of his sister. In light of this, the usual tedious obligations such as Captains' meetings became a chore almost too terrible to bear. However, Kuchiki Byakuya could not simply shirk his duties so nonchalantly , even in the face of this moral imperative.

"Hitsugaya Toushiro," the Commander started in his usual unhurried timber. "You have observed the Espada and his comrades. What do you report?"

The Captain, equally unhurried, stepped forward. His face was pulled down by a frown more pronounced than usual. "The Espada Ulquiorra has a strange relationship with the ryoka. I would not by any means call them comrades, except in the special case of Inoue Orihime.

"Kurosaki Ichigo's feels revulsion towards the Espada, because of his past actions and also his current relationship with Inoue. This disapproval seems to be tempered by Kuchiki Rukia, and so Kurosaki has kept his disdain quiet in public. He has, however, been very verbal in his criticism when alone with Kuchiki.

"As for Kuchiki, she seems to want to trust Ulquiorra for Inoue's sake. This prejudice, however, has not kept her from questioning Ulquiorra's motives for inhabiting the Living World. Her questioning has lead Ulquiorra to reveal insight into the nature of the new "king of Hueco Mundo" that Captain Kuchiki reported on early. The Espada claimed that with the elimination of the top Espada who would seek the title, the Espada Grimmjow and Nnoitra are fighting for supremacy. This, presumably, is not just to fill the Hollow's need for social hierarchy, but also for feeding rights.

"Ishida Uryuu and Sado Yasutora have not verbally revealed their justification, but both seem to be at a point where they are still suspicious of the Espada, but are also trying to be supportive of Inoue and trusting in her judgement. In my opinion, they are becoming more trusting in the Espada as the amount of time spent with him increases. While their quiet on the subject has made analysis difficult, I believe that Sado has a desire to trust the Espada, while Ishida is torn over whether he wants the Espada to be someone worth trusting.

"The Espada seems to have only developed a close relationship with Inoue Orihime. The relationship is undoubtedly of a romantic nature. In public, they are indistinguishable from any human couple. Although this is out of my field of experience, the two seem genuinely happy together. Inoue trusts the Espada completely.

"As for the Espada Ulquiorra, he has been nothing less than completely devoted to Inoue. He routinely goes out of his way to please her. I have witness everything from foot rubs to children's games. Despite sometimes acting as if she was something strange, he has an intense desire to protect her. He wishes nothing else than to be accepted by her for the man he has become and stay by her side for all time," Toushiro's eyes grew almost dull as he tried to convey with his inadequate experience the depth of emotion even he saw shared between Ulquiorra and Orihime. He forced his gaze to sharpen on the Commander as he concluded his report.

"The tolerance of the other ryoka towards Ulquiorra does not seem to be a matter of trust or friendship, but of respect towards Inoue Orihime. I have not witnessed any illicit, illegal or dishonest behaviour on the part of Ulquiorra, and I can only conclude from extensive observation that the Espada does indeed have benign motives for being in the Living World. In addition, Inoue seemed happier now than I had ever known her to be, directly attributable to the Espada. I strongly believe that this man is not our enemy." Toushiro finished, cold eyes trained resolutely on the Commander's. The old man didn't seem happy with the tone of Captain Hitsugaya's report.

The Commander's head bobbed up and down. "What would you suggest we do about the situation, Captain Hitsugaya?" The deep voice almost sounded challenging.

Toushiro remained unmoved. "I believe we should leave the Espada be. We have no valid reason to suppose he is a threat. If ever he becomes unruly, Urahara Kisuke, Shihouin Yoruchi and the ryoka will undoubtedly be able to contain him without help from the Gotei 13."

Commander Yamamoto rumbled deeply. "I will take your opinion into consideration. Thank you for the excellent report, Captain Hitsugaya." The room fell into silence before he spoke again. "Does anyone else wish to raise an issue?"

"With all due respect sir," Captain Kuchiki voiced in his usual melodious monotone. "A problem has materialized in my division in the last few hours."

"What would that be?" Commander Yamamoto asked, suspicious of the look in Captain Kuchiki's eye.

"It would seem," the Captain started, ever poised, "that ever since my fukutaicho was informed by Kurosaki Ichigo that Grimmjow arrived in the Material world today, communication in my division has become virtually impossible. Calls in and out of the Division are simply not going through."

"Grimmjow was in the Material world?" Soi Fong demanded. How had her intel missed it?

Commander Yamamoto considered this. "Shouldn't you be raising this issue with the Institute of Research and Technology? This issue has no place being discussed at a Captain's meeting." His tone was final; he meant that to be the end of the discussion.

"I would have to disagree respectfully," Captain Kuchiki pressed, eyes purposefully diverted from Captain Kurotsuchi, who had been smiling like a happy maniac throughout the meeting. "Especially since this makes efforts to recover my sister extremely difficult." Everyone's eyes shot wide open.

"Rukia's missing?" Captain Ukitake spluttered before he could stop himself. "Since when?"

Captain Kuchiki's sly eyes slid to his sister's Captain. "For approximately 7 hours. Attempts to locate her and Sado Yasutora in the Material world have utterly failed. They are believed to be in the Soul Society."

Commander Yamamoto didn't seem to like where this was going. "This matter is also not fit to be discussed at a Captain's meeting. Issues with the communication technology should be discussed with the Twelfth Division. Missing persons should be reported to the Stealth Forces." Byakuya was silent a moment.

"Something I find strange," Captain Kuchiki said, "is that Captain Hitsugaya seems to have omitted from his report today's invasion of the Sexta Espada Grimmjow Jeagerjacques in the Material world. Knowing Captain Hitsugaya's quality of work," Captain Kuchiki continued, voice nothing but silk, "I have to wonder whether this was a rare instance of grave oversight or a deliberate attempt to cover up the truth."

With hard eyes, Commander Yamamoto adjourned the meeting.


	20. Soul Society

I promised myself that if I got accepted to McGill University, I would put everything aside and work on this story. So you know what this means: I'M FUCKING GOING TO MCGILL!! BOOYAAH!!

Ahem. Pardon my excitement, McGill is like Canada's Harvard or MIT. It's top notch for Science and Engineering. I got accepted for Earth Sciences, but I'm still waiting on Chemical Engineering.

I really needed this, it's been a really hard semester. It was suicidal taking four science courses, especially both Cal III and Linear II. I've got to struggle just to pass :(. At least I'll be prepared for university.

Oh, yes, and I'm going to be at Anime North this May. Is anyone else going? If I find a really great Ulquiorra cosplay I'll take pictures and post them on Bleachness or something.

Things are moving fast, so please enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Exhausted, Orihime sat down on the curb of the street. They had searched the whole town from top to bottom, every square inch. Yasutora and Rukia were nowhere to be found. She looked to the East. Was it her imagination, or was light beginning to peak through the horizon?

"Orihime," Ulquiorra called, walking up to her from behind. She turned around to face him, and he sat down beside her. His body was as still and graceful as ever, but his eyes looked at her as if to ask, "Are you okay?"

"I'm so scared, Ulquiorra," Orihime admitted, looking away from the former Espada. "I couldn't do anything to protect Kuchiki-san or Sado-kun. I should have..."

Ulquiorra avoided Orihime's eyes. It was quiet for a long time. The streets around the two lay enveloped in darkness, only ghostly-yellow lights illuminating their misty paths. "When the sun rises," he said, "I will go with Kurosaki Ichigo to the Soul Society." Orihime gasped, eyes growing wide.

"You can't do that. They'll kill you," she breathed, fear consuming her.

Ulquiorra didn't look fazed. "They cannot defeat me." His tone was not confident; it was factual. He turned to gaze into Orihime's eyes. "But even if they could, I would go."

Orihime's breath caught in her throat. "But, why?" Ulquiorra looked away. His eyes closed just slightly, as if what he had to say weighed heavily on him.

"Because I understand Kurosaki's feelings," the Hollow murmured. He could deny it all he wanted, but it was true. Somewhere along his path, the line between Hollow and human had faded. Ulquiorra stood up. "There's something I need to show you."

* * *

Yasutora ran down the maze-like corridors of the Institute of Research and Development. He easily crushed the ants that came to sedate him. They fell to the floor wailing against his ox-like resistance to their anaesthetic.

It wouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who knew him that Yasutora was as resilient as horse. The puny amount of anaesthetic that the distracted researchers bothered to apply to him was engulfed and overwhelmed by the man's raging metabolism. Factor in the carelessness of his keepers, and Yasutora was now a free man.

The pain had been excruciating. It still was. Yasutora obviously hadn't waited to be stitched back up before making his escape. His right arm was horribly mutilated, and he was bleeding profusely from the unclosed incisions in his gut. Yasutora knew he would die if he didn't escape this place quickly. His first priority was to find Rukia.

Yasutora kicked open another door. The room was filled with biologists working on computers. They turned with wide eyes to look at him, but he was gone before they could rise from their chairs. Yasutora kicked down another door. And then another. And another after that.

There was no sign of Rukia. Yasutora kept moving.

Having looked everywhere, and unable to sense Rukia's reiatsu, Yasutora threw himself through the nearest window, and rolled out onto the Twelfth Division's grounds. The night was heavy and quiet. Sweat gathered on his brow as he fought off the urge to fall back and lie down. He had to keep moving, or all would be lost.

A snap in the reiatsu field spurred Yasutora to jump into the nearby shrubbery. Suppressing his reiatsu to the best of his abilities, he concentrated upon the phenomenon he sensed occurring a kilometre or so away. The night sky rippled with hot smoke, glowing a sick orange. Yasutora closed his eyes and focused upon the faint reiatsu he sensed. His eyes flew wide open when he placed the unfamiliar reiatsu as Grimmjow's.

Yasutora immediately broke into a run, dashing at full speed to where he sensed Grimmjow's reiatsu. The chance that Rukia might have been kept near where Grimmjow was wasn't negligible.

"Stop, human." Yasutora froze in place. He threw his head back and tried to see past the darkness. From the shadows, Kurotsuchi Nemu appeared, hands folded neatly in front of her. Yasutora turned back slightly to face her.

"I do not wish to fight you," the man said, voice deep and reverberating in the night. "Please, let me go in peace."

Nemu's eyes glowed brilliantly in the darkness, but carried in them not a single feeling. "I am sorry, but I cannot allow that." She advanced towards Yasutora, hands reaching out. Yasutora's eyes filled with acceptance, then hardened in determination.

Yasutora ran. Nemu pursued.

* * *

After the Captain's meeting, Toushiro was the last to leave the hall. Rukia and Yasutora were missing. It couldn't just be a coincidence, right? Toushiro walked swiftly down the dark streets.

That was one thing Toushiro had learnt in his short time as Captain of the Tenth Division. There are no such things as coincidences. Things don't just happen; there is always a cause. Just like months earlier, when Aizen had pulled the wool over everyone's eyes, he needed to have conviction and, this time, he would trust no one.

In a few short minutes, Toushiro had caught up with Mayuri Kurotsuchi. The Captain stopped walking, but did not turn around. The air bristled with tension. Toushiro stared at the Captain's back in resolution, and a few moments later, Mayuri turned around to face the young Captain.

"Why, hello, Captain Hitsugaya," the clown-like Captain greeted in a distinctly unbalanced tone. "What may I do for you this fine evening?"

"Cut the shit, Kurotsuchi," Toushiro ground out. "You know what I'm here for." Mayuri tilted his misshapen head in questioning.

"I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about, child," Mayuri assured. "I have not yet laid one finger on that broken little girl, Hinamori-fukutaicho." Toushiro's eyes widened.

"Don't you dare threaten Hinamori" he growled. "You will never touch her!"

Mayuri tilted his head again, a sadistic gleam in his eye. "Really, now?" Toushiro's lips curled into a menacing growl.

"I know what you're up to, Kurotsuchi," Toushiro stated, hand on the hilt of his sword. "I'm not going to let you keep getting away with this."

Mayuri's hand went casually to the sword he wore over his crotch. "Let's see what you've got, Hitsugaya."

Toushiro ripped his sword from its sheathe and lunged towards Mayuri at full speed. Mayuri smiled just slightly, then drew his zanpakutou at the last instant to block Toushiro's attack. "You're two centuries too young to be challenging me," Kurotsuchi taunted the instant their swords met, a deranged smile on his face. Toushiro growled in response, and fell back just to charge again. Mayuri blocked, still looking rather unconcerned. The haughty attitude infuriated the young Captain.

He lunged at him again, and was slashed in the leg by Mayuri's sword. Taking advantage of the opening, Toushiro slashed at Mayuri's head, but Mayuri ran back and threw his head and upper body backwards to dodge the swift blow. Toushiro jumped, and from the high ground hacked down at Mayuri. Captain Kurotsuchi fell onto his back and worked against gravity to blocked Hitsugaya's attack.

Mayuri grinned like a happy maniac and delivered a solid kick into Toushiro's side before he could get a good foothold on the ground. Toushiro went flying, and landed more or less gracefully despite a few broken ribs.

Captain Kurotsuchi slowly rose to his feet. "I was right," he said tauntingly, "a child like you has no place among Captains. You're hopelessly mediocre." Toushiro tightened his grip on his zanpakutou. He had to stay focused.

"You're the one who's holding Kuchiki Rukia and Sado Yasutora," Captain Hitsugaya accused. "You're also trying to recreate the destroyed Espada. What do you hope to gain from them?" Kurotsuchi smiled in a clearly unbalanced way.

"Why does any scientist hold live specimens?" Captain Kurotsuchi asked, arms opened wide, as if he had nothing to hide. "What purpose do living things have unless they can be studied and tested on? Tell me, Captain Hitsugaya, how do you seek to understand the Universe?"

Toushiro's eyes widened in horror at his fellow Captain's statements. "Would you experiment on your fellow shinigami?" Captain Hitsugaya asked, fury in his voice, "Or upon the humans it is your sacred duty to protect?" Captain Kurotsuchi just laughed.

"Shinigami, human, Hollow," Kurotsuchi stated, "all are the same. I hold no chauvinism." A sinister grin split Mayuri's face. "All are trivial creatures whose lives are meaningless compared to the pursuit of knowledge." Toushiro's shock rippled into unbridled disgust.

"Soar in the frozen sky," Captain Hitsugaya shouted, "Hyourinmaru!" The air around him overflowed with his tremendous reiatsu and the landscape froze solid in a flash. Mayuri jumped to avoid his feet being frozen to the ground, but his smug grin continued to exude confidence. "You'll regret what you've done, Kurotsuchi," Captain Hitsugaya promised, face pulled into a ferocious growl. The Ice Dragon under his control roared.

Toushiro again dashed towards his enemy. He whipped the Ice Dragon towards Mayuri, who simply raised his sword to defend. Mayuri, however, had underestimated the Captain's capacity for brutality. The Ice Dragon made of pure fury began to overwhelm him, and at the very moment Mayuri realized this, he felt Hitsugaya's frozen sword penetrate his abdomen. The two Captain's eyes met and all each saw in the other's eyes was raw wrath.

"Golden Ashisogi Jizou," Captain Kurotsuchi ground out between clenched teeth. Toushiro's eyes widened and he flashed stepped back a fair distance. Where he had stood, Mayuri's bankai, the gigantic, yellow-skinned infant bubbled into existence. Mayuri's grin oozed bloodlust. "Why so surprised, Captain Hitsugaya?" Kurotsuchi asked, mocking Toushiro's shocked expression. "Did you think that I would let you stab me without showing you true devastation in return?" His crazed eyes widened in joy. Toushiro tightened his grip on Hyourinmaru. "Die for your insolence, Captain Hitsugaya."

Mayuri lunged towards Toushiro, his Bankai already starting to release enough poison to kill any living thing in a 200-yard radius. Captain Hitsugaya positioned himself. He waited until he saw the white of Kurotsuchi's demented eyes.

"Thousand Year Icicle Prison," Toushiro called out, pulling moisture from the atmosphere and transforming it into sharp pillars that bore down on Captain Kurotsuchi and his Bankai. Kurotsuchi looked up at his impending doom in anger. He had never heard of such an attack in the other Captain's arsenal.

The second the icicles were about to skewer Mayuri, to everyone's intense surprise, an intense blaze of fire covered the scene and instantaneously melted the icicles. Mayuri shouted out in excruciating pain as his body blackened with burns. Toushiro watched in horror as his attack simply melted away into rain and his opponent fell unto his knees in defeat. Realizing the cause, Toushiro swung around and found Commander Yamamoto behind him, eyes sombre.

"Why, Comman-" Toushiro began to ask, before he coughed up blood. He brought his hand to his throat, and he remembered the poison. Toushiro doubled over, then fell to the ground, in too much pain even to breath.

"I didn't want to have to do this, Hitsugaya." Commander Yamamoto looked at the child's spasms of agony. He sighed. "And you showed so much promise too."

He hauled the small body of Captain Hitsugaya over his shoulder, then walked over the gather Captain Kurotsuchi. "But you were always too curious."

* * *

On legs that didn't have the strength to hold even her modest weight, Rukia rose shakily to her feet. Sweating palms grasped desperately to the side of her cot for support. But Rukia was determined. She needed to free Yasutora and herself.

As she limped towards the door, a sparkle behind her caught her eye. She looked back over her cot, and caught sight of her zanpakutou, lying on the shelf above her cot. Rukia smiled. In this room of white, she was lucky to have found her snow-white zanpakutou. The shinigami limped back to the cot coated red with her blood, and retrieved the sword. She felt stronger just being able to hold her old friend in her hands. She didn't have the strength to release it, but at least she had something to beat up her enemies with now.

Rukia, with utmost caution, peered out the door. No one in sight. She supposed that Grimmjow was enough of a distraction to keep the division occupied. The slender woman dashed gracefully down the hall.

As she ran, her bare feet landed as lightly on the cold floor as she could manage in her condition. Despite her complete nakedness, and the crisp temperature in this wing of the division, Rukia felt a cold sheen of perspiration covering her body. Her hand holding her zanpakutou was clammy. Rukia was finding it hard to breath.

The shinigami escaped out into the night air without running into trouble, although not without a struggle. Fire was all around her. Heaving a deep sigh of relief, Rukia looked up at the bright stars that hung like jewels in Heaven's sky. She knew this sky well. Countless nights, she had fallen asleep while gazing up at it. In the wilderness and chaos of her youth, she learnt to navigate the world with the help of these stars.

For that reason, Rukia saw in the stars that North, the Thirteenth Division, and her freedom lay on a clear path ahead of her.

* * *

Ulquiorra led Orihime through the dark forest. There wasn't enough light for Orihime to see by, but Ulquiorra seemed to have no trouble.

"Are you sure we should be doing this?" Orihime asked. "Sado-kun and Kuchiki-san are still missing..." Ulquiorra looked back at her to gauge her reaction.

"Sado Yasutora and Kuchiki Rukia are in Soul Society," Ulquiorra asserted. "You can search this world all night, and you will not find them."

"Wh-Why?" Orihime asked. "Why are they in Soul Society? How do you know, Ulquiorra?" The arrancar was silent for a while.

"My first night here, I spent with Urahara," Ulquiorra recalled. "I asked him to manufacture a body for me to exist in."

"Yeah," Orihime nodded, having assumed that all along.

"The reason that I believed it probable that Urahara would help me," Ulquiorra revealed, "is because I knew him to be researching the connection between shinigami, Vizards, humans, arrancar and Hollows." Ulquiorra looked back at Orihime. "I offered him my cooperation for his research, but he denied it. Upon consideration, I have concluded that the only reason that he would deny my help and have enough knowledge already to build this fully-functional Gigai for an arrancar is because he has nearly completed his research."

"How do you know this, Ulquiorra?" Orihime wondered. She and Ulquiorra found a clearing in the forest, and Ulquiorra walked forward into it. Orihime watched. She knew this place.

"This is where we first met," Ulquiorra mused. Even though the scenery had changed, this space held a nostalgic feeling for him. He closed his eyes at all the feelings. He didn't even see the point in pretending they didn't exist anymore. Orihime walked up to him. He opened his eyes and brought his hands gently to her face. Orihime pressed his hands against her cheeks, loving the feeling of his skin against hers.

Orihime looked up to Ulquiorra. His emerald green eyes were so beautiful. They held everything she loved about the world. She kissed Ulquiorra's lips.

It was gentle. He weaved his hand through her hair. She held him in her arms. The feelings they shared were so poignant. Both knew that something was happening and they might never have another chance like this again.

"I love you, Ulquiorra," Orihime whispered against his lips. He kissed her more desperately, as if hungry for everything that was her. He was so happy to hear her say those words.

She was radiance. She was kindness. She was everything Ulquiorra had been sheltered from for so long. Everything Ulquiorra didn't know he needed. "I love you, Orihime," he said as his lips parted just slightly from hers. She opened her eyes, and they watched each other in silence for a long moment. Orihime kissed Ulquiorra again, throwing herself onto him and wrapping her arms around his neck. Overwhelmed, tears streamed down from Orihime's eyes.

"Why are you crying?" Ulquiorra asked, pulling back and bringing his fingers to Orihime's cheeks. Her smile could light up the world.

"Because I'm happy," Orihime explained, wiping the tears from her face with her fingers, and then tracing Ulquiorra's tear marks with her index. "These are tears of joy." Ulquiorra grasped Orihime's wrist, and examined her fingers in the pale moonlight. Then, gently, he kissed her palm, her wrist, her hand, her forearm.

"I never thought I could feel this way," Ulquiorra admitted. "I feel as if I find myself when I am with you." Orihime pulled his arm down, and they sat on the grass and earth. She lied him down, and held herself over him.

"I believed all along that you had a heart," Orihime claimed. "I don't think anyone can live without a heart."

Ulquiorra shook his head minutely. "That is what a Hollow is. A being without a heart." Orihime leaned her head against his chest, watching him with careful eyes.

"And yet here you are," Orihime said.

Ulquiorra just stroked her hair, each movement filled with a love he was just starting to understand. They were quiet for a long time.

"I want to tell you something, Orihime," Ulquiorra said. Orihime looked up at him.

"What is it?" she asked. She still didn't understand why Ulquiorra brought her here. Romance? She doubted it.

"I don't think I am an arrancar anymore," Ulquiorra said.

* * *

Renji ran quietly down the dark and winding streets of the Soul Society.

There was too much that didn't make sense. Ichigo had said that Grimmjow was in the Material world. Why would he, as a Fukutaicho, not know about this? Under normal conditions, he should have been informed. Throw in Captain Hitsugaya, and a missing Rukia and Yasutora, and Renji was ready to call fowl.

Byakuya refused to discuss the Captain's meeting. Renji knew he knew something, though. Something was said there that got Captain Kuchiki very angry.

Renji cringed at the memory. Byakuya returned to the Division Headquarters only momentarily before setting out again. In the few moments he spent with Renji, he only gazed at him, eyes at a time disappointed and resolute. When he left, Renji found a note left where he was. It read this cryptic command:

"Subaru in the 12 constellations that divide the heavens.

Dark and Light are fair play to the Horned One.

One stands idle."

This is what had Renji running through the night, his reiatsu suppressed. The handwriting was not his Captain's, but it must have been from a trusted source for Byakuya to pass it on to him.

Renji held the note tight in his hand as he ran towards the 12th Division. He saw a cloud of smoke rising in the sky, tainted orange from a blazing fire below. He jumped over the high wall closing the 12th Division in from all the others, and landed face to face with Sexta Espada Grimmjow Jeagerjacques. They bumped heads, and both fell face-first into the thick wall.

"Grimmjow?!" Renji exclaimed. Grimmjow punched him in the face, and Renji fell back down the wall. Grimmjow jumped down, landing lithely, but was tackled by Renji before he could go anywhere.

"Get the fuck off, shinigami!" Grimmjow growled. Renji shushed him. He tried to throw Renji off him, but injury and exhaustion would not allow him to overwhelm the Fukutaicho.

Renji heard shouting on the other side of the wall. Something like "quick, get him!" and "specimen must be contained." Renji grabbed the arrancar by the waist and threw him over his shoulder. Before Grimmjow could shout out and reveal their location, Renji shunpo-ed away as quickly as he could.

A few hundred meters later, Renji stopped and dropped Grimmjow to the hard ground against the wall of the 12th Division. He crossed his arms and towered over the naked arrancar.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Renji demanded. Grimmjow looked up with hatred in his eyes.

"How the fuck should I know?" Grimmjow retorted. "It's you fucking shinigami who brought me here." He tried to get up, but just coughed up blood. Renji's eyes widened. "You sick assholes."

Renji bent down to get a better look at the arrancar. Despite his stark nakedness, Renji had trouble seeing Grimmjow's condition in the dark.

"What the fuck you doing?" Grimmjow demanded. He raised his arm to grab Renji's collar, but Renji easily overpowered him. It wasn't difficult, because Grimmjow's abdomen was severely cut up. As was his right arm.

"What do you remember?" Renji demanded. Grimmjow sneered at him.

"Fuck you, shinigami." Renji punched the injured arrancar square in the face.

"Answer the fucking question or I'm going to kill you," Renji threatened, hand dangerously on his sword. Grimmjow smirked.

"Go ahead, shinigami," Grimmjow dared. "Couldn't be worse than what you fuckers have already done." Renji lost his steam. He looked down at the brutal injuries. He had bled so much already, it must have been a challenge for the arrancar to even muster such a half-assed grin. Renji brought his hands to Grimmjow's injuries, and closed his eyes.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Grimmjow demanded, feeling oddly violated.

"Shut up, I'm not good at this. Let me concentrate." Renji's hands were surrounded by a pale blue light. Grimmjow watched his abdomen but saw no change. The external injuries were not touched. But he felt a warmth in his innards, and he knew the shinigami must have been focusing on healing the critical injuries. He looked up that shinigami in amazement.

A few minutes later, the blue light Renji was emitting puckered off and died. He looked at Grimmjow, a little embarrassed. "Sorry." They were silent for a while, both wondering where to go from there.

"Please tell me what happened to you," Renji asked quietly.

* * *

"I don't think I am an arrancar anymore," Ulquiorra said. Orihime propped herself up on her elbow.

"What do you mean?" she asked, thoroughly confused.

"Ever since entering this Gigai," Ulquiorra explained, "I thought something was strange. I wasn't able to pinpoint why before, because in this Gigai my reiatsu is compressed to almost unimaginable lengths." Orihime nodded. "But earlier today, when I sensed that you were in danger, I realized what was going on. I cannot escape my Gigai." Orihime's eyebrows rose in shock.

"But maybe Urahara did that on purpose so that you don't cause trouble," Orihime suggested. Ulquiorra had already considered this.

"I was able to exit the Gigai yesterday, although not easily," Ulquiorra admitted. "It has become progressively more difficult to distinguish between my soul and the Gigai. It feels as if we have become so synchronized that it has become my body." Orihime was shocked.

"So you're practically human now?" Orihime wondered. She wouldn't dare to even wish…

"No," Ulquiorra said definitively. "I believe that this Gigai that Urahara made for me is the culmination of his research." Orihime looked confused. "Urahara and Aizen were both fascinated with the concept of the soul. Answer me this, Orihime, where do Hollows come from?"

"A Hollow is what happens to a human soul when it's consumed by anger or hatred, or is unable to pass on after death," Orihime said.

"And where do humans come from?" Ulquiorra asked.

"From the reincarnations of people in Soul Society…?" Orihime proposed, unsure.

"That's right," Ulquiorra agreed. "Now why were the Quincy annihilated?"

Orihime looked shocked. How did he even know about that? "Because they killed Hollows, instead of purging them and sending them to Soul Society." Orihime wasn't sure where this was leading.

"And why must a Hollow be purged, instead of killed?" Ulquiorra questioned further.

"Because," Orihime explained, "if souls are always leaving the system, the equilibrium is upset and there's chaos…?"

"Considering this," Ulquiorra questioned, one last time, "what happens to the souls devoured by Hollows?" Orihime paused.

"They can't be dead," she concluded. "Just like with the Quincy, it would throw off the delicate balance. With all of the people eaten by Hollows, the world would have descended into chaos long ago if that were the case."

"That is correct," Ulquiorra said. "There is a delicate balance. A soul cannot die, the universe simply does not allow it. This is where Soul Society has lied. Even the Quincy, while they have the ability to decompose a Hollow soul, do not have the ability to destroy a soul."

Orihime looked incredulous. "Why would Soul Society lie?" Where was Ulquiorra going with all this?

"Because the Quincy hold a devastating power over Soul Society," Ulquiorra explained. "Soul Society feared that one day, if the Quincy were allowed to continue slaying Hollows, improving their techniques and honing their skills, a Quincy would one day be able to destroy Hollows the strength of Gillian, Adjucas, and even Vasto Lords."

"Why would Soul Society be afraid of that?" Orihime asked.

"Because humans have the tendency to take things too far," Ulquiorra continued. Orihime looked confused at this. "The leaders of Soul Society have carefully cultivated a remarkably lazy work ethic. Very few shinigami are dispatched to the Material World at a time, thereby guaranteeing that Hollows will be able to form and grow in power.

"Officers are seldom sent to the Material world, and Captains have been known to intervene only in very extreme situations. Expeditions to the Hueco Mundo simply never happen," Ulquiorra stated. "Do you know why?" Orihime shook her head. "Because Soul Society depends on Hollows to breed the next generation of shinigami."

"I don't understand," Orihime stated honestly. He was all over the place, and it was too much. What was Ulquiorra thinking about?

"Orihime," Ulquiorra stated, "when a Hollow is cut by a shinigami's zanpakutou, the Hollow is sent to Soul Society, and when it arrives it is indistinguishable from any other human soul. When a Gillian is cut, the Gillian will also go to Soul Society as a single human soul."

"Wait, you're not saying," Orihime gasped.

"That's right," Ulquiorra stated, "every high-seated officer of the Gotei 13 was a Gillian in his or her previous incarnation. Those with enough reiatsu to eventually become Captains were Adjucas. And as souls that fit in successfully in the Gotei 13 are those that have grown substantially from their previous incarnations and exhibit this immense ability to develop spiritually, it stands to reason that Third Seats and Fukutaichos are able to defeat Gillian without trouble, and Captains are likewise easily able to defeat Adjucas."

"But what about Vasto Lords?" Orihime asked, intrigued.

Ulquiorra looked into Orihime's eyes. "Vasto Lords are unlike any other Hollow," Ulquiorra explained. "They never leave Hueco Mundo, and never allow themselves to come into contact with shinigami."

"Why?" Orihime asked. Ulquiorra looked up at the stars above him.

"Because they do not wish to be shinigami," Ulquiorra stated simply. He looked down from the heavenly firmament, and saw that Orihime was watching him with unsure eyes. She still didn't understand where he was going with this.

"Soul Society feared that the Quincy would someday invade Hueco Mundo," Ulquiorra continued, "and in a relatively short amount of time destroy the Gillian and the Adjucas. What would result is that the hundreds of thousands, even millions souls that once comprised Gillian and Adjucas would flood Soul Society. Instead of receiving a few very strong individuals that would become the next generation of Captains and Lieutenants, Soul Society would receive much more souls than they have interest in taking care of, and this would overwhelm what little infrastructure they have in Rukongai. This would inevitably lead to uprisings.

"Also, and more devastatingly for Soul Society, there would be no Adjucas or Gillian killed by shinigami," Ulquiorra explained, "no new powerful souls would be born into Soul Society, and within a few centuries, the Gotei 13 would fall apart. There would simply be no new generation of Captains and Lieutenants to fill the gaps. Quincy would not cause the destruction of the universe; they would cause the destruction of the Gotei 13."

It was a lot for Orihime to take in. "What does this have to do with anything?"

"What I'm trying to say is that each Captain-level person you know was an Adjucas in their past life," Ulquiorra explained. "To keep the balance, Soul Society regulates the number of Adjucas killed, to be about one every ten years. Gillian are killed much more frequently."

"Do the Captains know this?" Orihime asked. She remembered Toushiro and Rangiku.

"No," Ulquiorra stated, "only the Chamber 46 and Commander Yamamoto are aware, the knowledge having been passed down to them from their predecessors. Urahara, however, discovered this on his own, and Aizen pieced it together from Urahara's research."

"And you know all this through Aizen?" Orihime asked. Ulquiorra's lips pursed together just slightly.

"No," Ulquiorra revealed, "I knew this before joining Aizen." Orihime rose herself to look Ulquiorra directly in the eye.

"How?" They stared at each other a long moment. Ulquiorra prepared to share his most closely held secret.

* * *

Nemu punched Yasutora in the kidneys, and he fell to his knees. He pulled himself forward, and tried to run further. She kicked him in the gut as he was on all fours, and Yasutora coughed up more blood. She eyed him curiously.

"Why won't you fight me?" Nemu finally asked, as the man lay gasping on the floor.

Nemu allowed him to rise shakily to his knees. Yasutora looked her in the eye. "Because you're a woman."

Nemu approached, and Yasutora turned to run. She grabbed him by the arm and forced him to the ground. "That is not a valid answer."

"I can't make myself hit a woman," Yasutora stated simply.

"But I am stronger than you," Nemu stated detachedly. "I have no need for your chivalry." Yasutora looked up at the girl.

"That doesn't matter," Yasutora replied.

"Even if it means you will die?" Nemu asked.

Yasutora coughed up more blood. He gazed at the fire that was lighting the sky and prayed to Mary that Rukia had escaped the blaze somehow.

That was Yasutora's last thought as the darkness swallowed him whole.

* * *

Captain Unohana sat at Toushiro's bedside. The room was dark, lit only by the moonlight. The young Captain was slowly dying. Foam spilled from his mouth, and Retsu gently wiped it off.

"Hurry, Isane," she whispered.

A few moments later, the door slid open, flooding the room with light. Byakuya walked in silently, then closed the door behind him. Retsu's eyes stayed on Toushiro.

"Captain Hitsugaya confronted Kurotsuchi," Byakuya said. He didn't need to ask.

"Captain Hitsugaya was too rash," Retsu said. "He should have asked one of us to support him." There was silence.

"Would you have supported him, Captain Unohana?" Byakuya asked.

Retsu's expression didn't change. "Would I have confronted the Commander?" Her serene gaze watched the troubled sleep of Captain Hitsugaya. "I would." Retsu turned to Byakuya, face unsmiling.

"My loyalty to the Gotei 13 would demand it of me."

* * *

Rukia found that the wisest path out of the 12th Division was the path forged by Grimmjow's murderous rampage. She followed the trail of carnage, passing innumerable dead and dying bodies. The buildings all around her were on fire, and the heat seared her skin. The dry grass was a mortal threat, so she ran as fast as she could to escape the fiery buildings.

As she got out in the open, she saw less bodies, but more defaced soil and signs of a struggle. Is this where Grimmjow finally succumbed to his injuries and exhaustion?

She stopped and hid in the bushes when she heard voices up ahead. She sat on her knees and wiped sweat off her brow. Rukia listened.

"He jumped over the wall!" One person pointed out.

"Quick, get him! Don't let him get ahead!" Another shouted.

"If we don't contain the specimen, the Captain's screwed, and we're all dead." Yet another said.

Rukia watched as they scaled the wall. Once again, the coast was clear and she dashed for the wall.

"Stop!" The voice chilled her to the bone. A projectile grazed the skin of her side, and Rukia froze. She turned and saw a young officer of the 12th Division, released sword in hand. Her eyes narrowed.

"I am a shinigami," Rukia said, drawing herself up to full height. "Kuchiki Rukia of the 13th Division, under Captain Ukitake. Lower your weapon, I am not your enemy."

The fresh-faced officer didn't look fazed. "You are a specimen of Captain Kurotsuchi's, so I cannot let you escape." Rukia's face twisted in disgust.

"You commend this kind of treatment of your fellow shinigami?" Rukia demanded. She brought her already-bloodied hand to her side, which despite the shallowness of the cut, continued to bleed profusely. "Have you lost all morals?"

The man's eyes hardened. "It is not my responsibility to question my Captain's morals. It is my job to do my Captain's bidding." Rukia cringed again in disgust. She drew her sword.

"I will have to defeat you, then," Rukia said.

* * *

Every time I get a review, I work a little harder on the story. It really makes me feel like this is worth doing. So if you're so inclined, please review :)


	21. Archangel, Dark Angel, Lend Me Thy Light

**Warning:** Flashback, female OC (and a few male OCs, but I know you guys aren't so spooked by those). I shouldn't even have to say "no romance," but I know the convention with female OCs...

I usually really hate flashbacks as they're done in most fanfiction, but I do appreciate the need for some context when absolutely necessary. And this is kind of really necessary, so please don't hate me. You can skip the whole thing, it won't hurt my feelings TOO much, but there are lots of important plot points. I worked really hard to write this, and I think I was able to avoid all the really horrible stuff you guys might be used to seeing in fanfiction.

Trust me a little. There must be a reason you guys have stuck with me for 20 chapters and 130 000+ words, right?

* * *

An inhuman roar shook Hueco Mundo. Unspeakable pain smothered all in thick darkness.

Far away, a girl and a man sat and watched the billows of darkness form almost a mushroom shape. The look on the girl's face was of intense pity, and she turned to the man.

"How much longer are we going to leave him like this?" the girl asked, brow furrowed and tears in her voice. The man did not look at her; his eyes remained trained on the deep cloud of black that hung far out on the horizon.

"He's still dangerous, Penumbra," the man replied, tone grave. He looked to the young girl, sympathy in his soft brown eyes. "A great tragedy has happened on Earth, and it is he who carries its burden. When the time is right, we shall approach."

"But Soleado," Penumbra argued, tugging the man's sleeve childishly, "you said it was quick for me to have formed and reached this point in 600 years. That being has already developed into this after only a few months. Can we really just leave him?"

"That's why he is extremely volatile," Soleado explained. "He's developing very quickly, and while he could be ready at any moment, he is still very dangerous." The man abruptly shot the girl a sharp look. "You must not approach him, Penumbra."

Penumbra frowned slightly. "It's inhuman to leave him like this. I bet that if I could get close enough to him, I could help him find himself again..."

"Don't even think of it, Penumbra," Soleado commanded in a low growl. "I will not let you kill yourself." Penumbra stared into the engulfing mushroom of black.

"I just want the pain to stop," Penumbra murmured, eyes downcast.

Soleado's eyes softened. "When something horrific happens, and the experience is shared by so many of a Hollow's souls, Reclamation will happen more quickly." The man mustered up a crooked smile for the girl. "He shouldn't be much longer. You have to give him time, though; let him find his own path."

The girl's eyes narrowed with pain. "I know. I just wish I could do something for him. Those poor souls have already suffered so much." There was silence for a long while.

The man's sorrowful gaze was on the mushroom of black energy. Despite what he told Penumbra, he too couldn't help but think of ways to ease the soul's suffering. Leaving it to suffer alone went against everything Soleado believed in. "All of the souls in that being were killed by the same terror. He has within him only the memory of burning and death."

Penumbra's blank eyes were ever trained on the darkness. "Just like me." The man brought his hand to the girl's thin shoulder.

"This was his pyre," he said. "In some ways, his pain is worse than yours was. Your souls were assembled over centuries, and were diluted by feeding on other Hollows." Soleado's eyes filled with pity for the creature before him. "This man will not have that chance. He will carry with him nothing but the fire."

They watched the cloud of darkness for a while longer. In silence, Soleado rose and left to rejoin the others. Penumbra stayed there all night, as she had done so many nights before.

* * *

His flesh broiled. The pain was excruciating. The creature screamed his agony, releasing ever more darkness into Hueco Mundo.

There was too much. Too much pain. Too much despair. He couldn't do it. He catabolised himself. He fed on and destroyed the pain.

This continued for weeks. And then, suddenly, it stopped. And there was nothing but nothingness.

* * *

It was the thirteenth week that the burning man had enveloped the horizon with darkness. It was in the thirteenth week that the burning man fell. The huge dark cloud of energy imploded back into him, and the man fell to the floor. Penumbra saw it happen, and did not wait for the Elders to arrive. She ran as fast as she could to where the man was.

When she arrived at him, he was on his knees, looking up at the ghostly crescent moon, transfixed.

The man was breathtaking. His naked skin was smooth and white all over his body, his form slender yet strong. Towering black wings emerged gloriously from his back with a beauty and power beyond that of any angel. His head was crowned with majestic bull horns. His eyes glowed a deep forest green, reflecting every leaf that had ever slumbered in the darkness.

Penumbra fell to her knees, tears filling her eyes. This man shook something in her to the very core. This creature was her God, immediately and completely the center of her existence. Visions of the future flashed before her eyes. She saw beauty and greatness and the beginning of a new age. The ethereal being before her flooded her senses with immeasurable passion.

And then it all shattered. Tears of black flowed from the man's eyes, staining the pure white face with death. His eyes filled with pain once again, and his death flowed out to cover his beautiful face. The man looked down from the moon and fell onto all fours, wings spread out and showing their might. His fists curled up in pain and he let out a hellish, bloodcurdling shriek as his heart was pried from his chest. In a flash, his legs and hips, arms and hands, were covered with black fur.

"Stop, don't!" Penumbra cried out, throwing herself towards the man. The man's heart was being lost. Darkness fell from the sky like black rain and flowed out of the man in heavy black waves rippling the white sand. The dark power pushed Penumbra back, and she could only watch with horror as this God was cast down to a dark and burning Hell. Black dripped from his face and the new hole in his chest. A sword fizzled from the black he bled.

The man's soul collapsed even further. The fur receded, but the hair of his head grew longer, and the remnants of his mask, the God-like horns, spread out like a disease to form a helmet over his head. Penumbra could do nothing but watch.

But the pain was still too great for the man. His growing mask was holding all the darkness inside, keeping it from coming out. He needed to let it out. He needed to empty himself of the despair. The man brought his skeletal hand to the horn on the right side of his head. With a bloodcurdling shriek, the man broke off his horn. He clawed away at his mask, tearing off the plates of bone. He managed to rip off half of it before the pain forced him to unconsciousness.

The man collapsed onto the sand, bloodied head first. Penumbra approached him, but was pushed back by a heavy wave of dark energy. The black wings vaporized.

When the darkness curled away, stillness returned to the desert. A deafening silence hung in the air. The man was laid bare on the sand, almost lost in the eternal whiteness. Penumbra couldn't move. She sat there for what felt like eternity, tears flowing down her numb cheeks as if she had lost the love of her life and didn't quite believe it yet.

It was then that Soleado and the other Elders appeared. Soleado's concerned eyes shot to Penumbra and he rushed to her side. An Elder gently woke the newcomer. He helped the newcomer rise on shaking legs and covered the man's nakedness in a richly-coloured cloth. Soleado kneeled before Penumbra and shook her by the shoulder.

"What's wrong, Penumbra?" Soleado asked. "What has happened?" Penumbra looked up at her friend, agonized, then looked at the man who had been God.

It was then that they saw it: his Hollow hole. The elders were astonished. How had this happened? They looked to the shaken Penumbra. "What has happened, Penumbra?" Chief Elder Yano asked in a rasped voice.

Penumbra swallowed her tears, eyes still on the fallen God. "He was one of us," she confirmed. "He was Whole for just an instant. But it hurt him too much to remember. The trauma was too great." Her eyes filled with bitter tears. "He lost it. He just... lost it."

Chief Yano's deep blue eyes searched his endless memory for an answer. "Nothing like this has ever happened." He turned to the dazed man watching everything with blank eyes. "But the circumstances of the trauma were also unique."

"There have been Great Deaths before," another Elder, Estreya, noted. "But this was mass murder. The souls must hold so much resentment."

"In such a concentrated area," Chief Yano added, nodding. "And unexpected, also. The shinigami did not prepare for it like they did for the Wars." The assembled looked at the newborn one with curious, if pitiful, eyes.

"What is your name, new one?" The Chief Elder asked slowly, voice smooth and eyes kind. The man looked incredibly dazed. His gaze was empty, his face blank. No trace of his immense pain seemed to remain except for two pale green tear marks.

"My name is Ulquiorra," he said numbly. Almost as if he were tired, Ulquiorra looked about the gathered, still wondering where he was.

"What is the last thing you remember, Ulquiorra?" Chief Yano asked gently.

Ulquiorra seemed confused. "I was... burning. In a great fire."

"Do you remember anything before that?" The Elder pursued.

"No." Ulquiorra's brow furrowed just slightly, as if the inability to remember caused him great distress.

* * *

When the bomb hit, no one was ready. The Japanese people didn't see it coming, and Soul Society had not prepared for the immense amount of death there was. Such a place, drowning in death and despair, was a breeding ground of Hollows.

The Hollows ruled the city, hardly impeded by shinigami. They ate all the souls dead from the blast and from subsequent radiation poisoning. Then they ate each other. Shinigami had long vacated the area, judging it too dangerous.

After weeks of cannibalism, all the death had been amassed as one Hollow. It was no longer a Menos, or even an Adjucas, it was an immobile cloud of pure darkness. It carried within it all the pain and despair of the dead. It felt like its darkness would swallow the world. Soul Society refused to approach it.

There were just two shinigami who knew what had to be done. They waited until the Gotei 13 had entirely dropped their perimeter around the creature. The two knew that even with their combined powers, attacking this creature would mean their deaths. The only chance at freeing the area from this creature's unending death was to move it to Hueco Mundo.

It had taken months for Urahara to figure out the route to the Hollow World. And now, as he stood before this creature of pure death, his heart was filled with nothing but pity.

"Do you remember how we were taught to hate these poor souls?" Yoruichi asked, resentment just barely perceptible in her voice. Her heart was at a time heavy at the sight of so much pain, and filled with anger at Soul Society's indifference.

"If we had a few more Captains, we might be able to purify this thing," Urahara noted. The two watched the pitiful monster for a long time.

"Things will change, Kisuke," Yoruichi promised in a soft voice.

Kisuke responded by opening the huge gateway. For a few minutes, there was nothing. They began to wonder if their theory had been flawed. And then they felt it. The darkness was approaching.

"A being of such pain and despair," Yoruichi murmured softly, "is bound to be attracted to a place that promises emptiness."

As the Hollow approached the barrier with mindless determination, the darkness lagged behind it. Urahara and Yoruichi were able to catch a glimpse of the tragedy as it floated by. It was a man. He had ghostly white skin, hair as black as coal, and glorious black wings and horns reminiscent of the light-bearing Lucifer.

The horned one floated by with the cloud of darkness still flowing out of him in painful spurts. Yoruichi and Urahara watched as he disappeared into the darkness, and were left to wonder what kind of future a creature like him might have.

* * *

"Welcome to our village," Chief Elder Yano, greeted grandly as they arrived. He was a large man, belly round and face wrinkled with smile lines.

In the farthest reaches of Hueco Mundo there was a village that was called Crepusculo, inhabited by the Vasto Lords. It was a village of about 35 Vasto Lords, a rather small and tightly knit group compared to others. Habitations made of crystal and colourful cloths were peppered about in a large crevice at the foot of a steep mountain range. The sharp rocks that were the walls of the village provided relief from sand storms and dangerous wandering Hollows.

The bustle of the village disoriented Ulquiorra. It had felt like years that he was caught in the suffocating darkness. Now there was only emptiness left inside of him, so Ulquiorra didn't know how to react to the kindness of the Vasto Lords, who seemed more alive than any Hollow should.

What was the most striking was the colour. Everything was bight and vivid. Habitations were ornately adorned with arabesques of crimson, ocean blue, sunflower orange. People wore vibrant colours; a lot of deep blues and emerald greens and pumpkin oranges. As Ulquiorra walked through the village, he was bombarded by rich, heady scents of strange herbs that had been gathered from the Menos Forest.

They held a celebration for the newcomer. They served juicy and colourful fruits and perfectly spiced vegetables whose scents hung in the air like ornaments. Penumbra sat next to Ulquiorra, but he didn't notice her.

The elders told stories of the tribe's past, great legends of old. There were battles and tribulations. There were victorious stories of Vasto Lords driving out shinigami who had come to destroy Adjucas and replenish their stock of powerful souls. But the most proudly recited stories were of partnerships and peace-making between the Vasto Lord tribes. They told the fundamental creed of the Vasto Lords for Ulquiorra and several other newcomers and visitors. Ulquiorra sat and listened carefully, absorbing everything like a child.

"All humans experience death," Chief Yano said, "and no human is truly at peace with their death. Hollows are born of the trauma of death. A Hollow is a human whose heart is stolen by death."

"A Hollow will seek to fill the hole left by death by eating humans, shinigami and other Hollows," the man continued, "This is because the Hollow knows, instinctively, that the more souls it holds within it, the more of its past humanity it will regain. Over time, a Hollow would evolve into a Menos Grande, and after feeding on even more souls, amassing souls within themselves, they will become Adjucas." Everyone's eyes were riveted on the Chief.

"From there, simply feeding on Hollows will not bring about evolution," Chief Yano revealed. "All of us here understood that by carrying 50 000 human souls, 60 000, even 70 000, it made no difference anymore. Humanity was already with us." He paused to look with kindness at Ulquiorra. "Instead of looking outside of oneself for wholeness, we needed just to look within."

A smile lit up the Chief's face. "And this is what makes a Vasto Lord." He looked about him, at the Vasto Lords who had made this journey long ago. "A Hollow who realizes that they are whole." Chief Yano laid his eyes on Ulquiorra, who had reached the level of Vasto Lord before repressing everything.

"That's why we don't need to eat Hollows," Penumbra whispered to Ulquiorra. She was a girl who looked about fifteen, with short black hair framing her round and smiling face. "We don't need to fill the hole, because the hole has already been filled." She leaned closer. "But since you have a Hollow hole, if you're ever hungry, I could bring you out hunting sometime..." Ulquiorra shot the girl a look that would strike terror in any sane person. Penumbra just blushed, deeply touched, a blissful smile on her lips.

As it turned out, Penumbra never let go of her vision of Ulquiorra as the glorious horned God. Something deep within her cherished this vision more than anything else. She saw something in Ulquiorra that very first instant that touched her to the very core, and she would never be the same. In that one fleeting moment, she met her God.

It was this woman's fate that, until her last breathe, Ulquiorra would be her first thought as she awoke and her last thought before rest. Even years later, she would dream of him with the towering black wings and the godly bull horns she had only seen in an instant. She never stopped believing that this God was still within him, and she yearned every day to see it just once more. Until then, Ulquiorra's word was gospel, his eyes the only Truth and his body the only beauty.

It was more than love. It was more than adoration. It was the essence of human devotion, unknowable to a mortal soul.

* * *

"Why does she follow me?" Ulquiorra asked Soleado one night as they prepared for rest.

Soleado dipped his feather into his ink well, the candlelight flickering. Ulquiorra stood erect behind him, hands in his pockets. "Penumbra?" Ulquiorra's serpentine eyes just sharpened.

"She does not leave me a moment's peace," Ulquiorra noted with what might have been annoyance. Soleado's eyes looked tired. He turned away from his parchment to face Ulquiorra.

"Penumbra is a unique person," Soleado started with a deep sigh. "She is the only Vasto Lord that has ever been known to predict the future." He smiled a lopsided smile, like a father trying not to brag about his overachieving daughter. "And she does it extremely well." Ulquiorra didn't react.

"She sees great potential in you," Soleado explained. "Greatness that our kind has never imagined."

"Why?" Ulquiorra demanded, still rigid as a rod.

"Well, your strength is obviously staggering by Vasto Lord standards," Soleado explained, "That is a result of your unique metamorphosis, degenerating from Vasto Lord to Adjucas, and then finally ripping off half your mask." Soleado scratched his head, working through this highly-theoretical stuff. "As far as Arrancar go, one that has reached the level of Vasto Lord is extremely powerful."

"But that's not why Penumbra sees great things for you," Soleado sighed, trying to communicate something even he didn't understand. "She calls you the horned God. She says that you will cut through the decay and bring about a new era."

Ulquiorra didn't understand. In his small village, in his small world, what was there to change? To this new soul, nothing past the horizon was real. "It is not true."

Soleado smiled kindly. "She's never been wrong yet."

* * *

Another night, the Vasto Lords shared their stories of the shinigami. It was always a hot discussion. A new Vasto Lord shared his experience.

"There's a soul within me with memories of the Soul Society," said the young man, named Banket. "Just a few decades ago, there was an incident where a new Captain, Captain Urahara Kisuke was his name, was suspected of experimenting on souls by turning them into Hollows."

"What?" Penumbra demanded, "How could he treat people as test subjects?"

"He eventually turned half of the Captains and Vice-Captains into Hollow-like things," Banket continued. "My soul thought that that was why he was banished to the Material World."

"How could people that exist only to protect do such monstrous things?" Soleado fumed, tussling his salt-and-pepper hair, feeling instinctively for the scar at the back of his head. "The Gotei 13 is so grossly incompetent. I don't know how they've survived this long. You can't tell me this incident didn't have an impact on their ability to konsou!"

"Shinigami are the monsters in a pleasing form," an Elder replied. "They look like humans, but they have no true concern for humans."

"They believe themselves superior to us," one Vasto Lord complained, "when all they do is lounge about all day and let the humans in their care suffer in Rukongai. Have you heard of the monstrosities that occur there?" The Vasto Lords exchanged stories of their souls' experiences in Rukongai.

"We have a fundamental difference in philosophy with the shinigami," Chief Yano explained to Ulquiorra and a few of the newer tribe's people. "The shinigami seek to divide. They believe each creature should be limited to having only one soul."

"Which is hypocritical," another Vasto Lord, a pouting blond woman, chimed in, "because soul multiplicity is what gives those shinigami so much power!"

"The Vasto Lords, however," Chief Yano continued smoothly, clear blue eyes shining as he leaned forward, "believe that true beauty comes from unity. The more souls we amass, the stronger we become, the wiser we become. As long as we stay true to what we hold within," he said as he pointed to his heart, "our humanity will exceed the self-righteous shinigami." Some Vasto Lords nodded.

"Shinigami are a plague to all unity and equality," Chief Yano claimed, motioning to the Vasto Lords that surrounded him. "They do not understand that the more souls you carry, and the more in touch you are with those souls, the closer you come to understanding the True Universe." The Chief's deep blue eyes glossed over. "I, who carry 156 803 souls within myself, hold the whole world in my hands." He turned to his people.

"Do you know what it is like to feel the vital blood of the world pulsing to your very core?" he asked. "Do you know the peace that comes with remembering a billion different sunsets, in a billion parts of the world? Living 156 803 different lives, filled with love and hate and humanity? Being personally in love with hundreds of thousands of people? Being a father, a mother, a grandparent to millions of children?"

The man's clear blue eyes shone. "This is what it means to be one with the universe. It is something that only a Vasto Lord can truly understand." Chief Yano smiled at Ulquiorra, who had not yet discovered the true beauty of humanity. "And this is why the shinigami fear us. This is why they tell stories of our greatness. Not for our strength, not for our cunning," the man's eyes sparked with nothing but truth, "but because these Gods of Death pale when faced with Gods of Life."

Ulquiorra blinked, heart empty, absent, and wholly unmoved. Greatness would never be incentive enough to face to the unending darkness again.

"Wait," one Vasto Lord, a newcomer, spoke up. "So you guys think that shinigami shouldn't exist?"

Chief Yano was the quickest to answer. "That's what I believe, I know others disagree with me," he said, casting a glance at his friends beside him. "But I believe that this universe is progressing towards the unity of all living things. It's called the noosphere." Ulquiorra almost raised an eyebrow at that one.

"So you think that all humans should become Hollows?" the newcomer, Repartie, a young-looking man with dark hair asked, almost incredulous. "Maybe you guys have lived too long to remember, but being a lower Hollow was horrible. Don't you remember the hunger? The pain?"

"Trust me," Soleado nearly grumbled, "that's nothing compared to most places in Rukongai. At least as a Hollow, you ultimately end up as part of a Vasto Lord." Soleado smiled, eyebrows still gruff. "The pain is worth the reward, if you ask me."

Repartie didn't accept it. "Without shinigami, the human world would be in shambles," his face was flushed as he opposed some of the most powerful people in Hueco Mundo. Luckily for him, there was back up.

"I agree with you, Repartie," another Elder, Joyce, responded. "As we are now, we're in equilibrium. Some of us end up as Hollows, which, like Soleado said, ultimately become Vasto Lords. And some stay in the cycle of life, death, and rebirth." She propped herself up on her elbow, almost looking bored. "Just because we enjoy being Vasto Lords, doesn't mean it's for everyone. Some people are happy just having one soul."

Chief Yano kept himself from rebutting. He didn't want to get into this debate again. "But whether we think shinigami are necessary or not, we all agree that they are terrible at their job. We all think it's hypocritical that they deny the value of soul-multiplicity even while their entire establishment depends on it."

* * *

Ulquiorra stayed in the village. The Vasto Lords helped him build a habitation, weaving bright fabrics into lavish designs. Ulquiorra lived a peaceful life without happiness and without pain. The villagers were friendly, but not clingy; they seemed to understand that he did not greatly appreciate companionship. Except Penumbra, of course.

"So you really don't remember how you died?" Penumbra asked one day, trailing behind Ulquiorra like a puppy. Ulquiorra shot her a glare.

"No," he replied rigidly. He didn't like this topic.

"Do you want me to tell you about it?" Penumbra asked hesitantly.

Ulquiorra did not hesitate. "No."

"Ulquiorra," she pouted, face round, "don't you want to be a Vasto Lord? If you remember, it'll help you re-embrace your humanity. You'll feel a lot –"

"I do not want to be human," Ulquiorra intoned, voice just slightly harsher than usual. "I can never be human." Penumbra's eyes turned sad.

"Ulquiorra, you know that's not true," Penumbra replied softly. "I'm a Vasto Lord: I have no Hollow hole, all that's left of my mask is an ouroboros around my bellybutton, and I feel feelings. I understand compassion and friendship, and that's why I want to help yo –"

"I feel nothing, woman," he said. "I will never feel anything. I am a Hollow."

"But if you just let yourself remember..." her voice faded off under his stern gaze. Ulquiorra started walking away. "Wait." He stopped, but did not turn around to face the girl.

"Has anyone ever told you my story?" She asked quietly. Ulquiorra turned around. "There was a time on Earth when people were terrified of witches. Everyone that showed the slightest bit of spiritual powers were tortured, or drowned, or burnt. Even lots of people who didn't have any powers."

Ulquiorra's brow arched at that last one. Burnt. Penumbra closed her eyes, looking into her soul. "So many of my souls are society's rejected. Roma, witches, pagans, Jews. I remember nothing of my life except being burnt at the stake. Everyone hated me, and as I burnt, I hated them too." She opened her eyes and looked sadly at Ulquiorra.

"But I never forgot my compassion towards the other condemned ones," Penumbra continued. She laughed a little. "It might seem strange, but at the time, all I wanted to do was eat them all. Make them part of myself. As if I was protecting them that way." She smiled. "That's why I was able to keep my personality so intact all these centuries, and with only 44 2332 souls inside me, was able to become a Vasto Lord."

"What is your point?" Ulquiorra asked dully.

Penumbra's gentle smile was filled with the kindness of centuries. "Even though humanity does horrible things to its people, and it's us who has to bear the punishment of their sins, we love them." She looked almost as if she glowed in the soft moonlight, eyes overflowing with a tragic kindness. "We love them so much that we want nothing more than to be one of them again."

"And what does it mean to be human?" Ulquiorra asked after a moment, voice void of emotion.

The girl's smile could light this whole dark world. "To love selflessly and for no rational reason." With those words, Penumbra skipped by Ulquiorra towards the nightly festival. She danced about to the melodic sound of the festival's music. She looked back at Ulquiorra, blushing just slightly, and smiled.

Ulquiorra followed her as stoically as ever, trying as hard as he could to forget the girl's words.

* * *

Despite her girlish appearances, Penumbra was strong. Ulquiorra realized this when she had him pinned to the side of a mountain with one ferocious, slender hand.

"Fight me," she demanded, voice still light and girlish. Her eyes sparkled with some obscure thrill.

"I have no desire to," Ulquiorra responded simply, hands, as always, casually in his colourfully embroidered pockets.

Penumbra's grip on him tightened. "Something will come and you will need to be strong."

"I will not indulge your crazed fantasies, girl," Ulquiorra rebutted. He pulled one hand from his pocket, and brought it to Penumbra's hand. Her nails were digging into the white of his neck. In a split-second, he was free, and Penumbra was thrown onto the sand.

Ulquiorra walked away, and Penumbra rose to her feet, pouting. "You have to take me seriously, Ulquiorra! You are going to need to tap into your inner power someday." Ulquiorra tossed a look over his shoulder.

"If that day was to come, I would know what to do," Ulquiorra supplied cryptically. A vein popped on Penumbra's forehead.

"And why would you know that?" she demanded, shouting and looking rather infuriated. "You know so little about what it means to be a Vasto Lord. You don't know the first thing about battle. You've closed yourself off from your souls and you won't train with me. When things start happening, you will be unprepared and will suffer greatly for it." The girl pointed angrily to the retreating Arrancar.

"Do not brandish your insanity and expect me to be intimidated," Ulquiorra shot back in his usual monotone. He bent down to pick up the crystal branches he had originally been sent to gather, and walked back towards the village. Penumbra followed, pouting at full force. Her arms were crossed, and she looked immensely concerned. They walked quietly for quite a while.

"I have been able to retrieve both of my prior Hollow states using my sword," Ulquiorra revealed, shooting Penumbra a sidelong glance. "Should something happen, I will have access to much of the power that you witnessed on the day I was born." Penumbra's eyes widened and filled with tears. She smiled brilliantly.

"Thank you, Ulquiorra," she cried, joyous with relief. She jumped to hug the stoic Arrancar. Ulquiorra's eyebrows twitched just a fraction with annoyance. "You have to show me! When did you do it? Why didn't you bring me? I need to see it, I _need_ to see it!"

Ulquiorra closed his eyes, almost regretting putting the young girl's heart at ease.

* * *

It was in this way that Ulquiorra passed three decades. Life was uneventful.

Until things began changing.

News came in the form of an injured Vasto Lord. He arrived at the village one night, clothes bloodied and tears and sand staining his young face. He belonged to a neighbouring village, just over the mountain tops. When the Elders found him, they dressed his wounds with herbs from the Menos Forest. The whole village gathered to hear the young man speak.

"Hueco Mundo has been invaded by shinigami," the man revealed. Shock broke across the faces of the Vasto Lords. "They have employed strange Vasto Lord-like Hollows to do their bidding. One of them destroyed my village, killed everyone." Terror struck the village's heart. Murmurs were heard all around.

"What do you mean by Vasto-Lord like Hollows?" an Elder asked, eyes narrowed suspiciously. Everyone quieted down.

The young man turned to face his elder, tea warming his cold hands. "They have only vestigial masks, but they also have Hollow holes," the man's face turned slightly paler. He swallowed hard. "And they have no sense of humanity."

Almost unintentionally, all eyes turned to Ulquiorra. Chief Yano, face pale, could murmur only one word. "Arrancar."

From that day forward, Vasto Lords travelling through the region would stop by each village on their way to spread any news. News came in as scraps.

There were rumours that the Arrancar who would invade the villages of Vasto Lords had been Adjucas before removing their masks. This made them stronger than Vasto Lords, but weaker than an Arrancar who had been a Vasto Lord. Some villages were able to fight off the Arrancar, but many were utterly decimated by them. The problem could have been solved if the Vasto Lords had turned themselves into Arrancar, but none would ever be willing to sacrifice their morals and choose to resemble the shinigami they so despised. At the very least, they would conserve their dignity and Hollow pride.

It was yet unknown how many shinigami had invaded Hueco Mundo, but there were certainly more than one. The villagers sought wisdom in the past. Vasto Lords were characterized by their incredible ability to connect with their constituent souls. All memories were at their disposal. All feelings and personalities influenced who they were. All special abilities accumulated to make the Vasto Lord's power.

Chief Yano broached the subject with Ulquiorra in his habitation.

Ulquiorra just blinked. "I have no intention of looking back." Chief Yano sighed, hands on his large round belly.

"I told you so," Penumbra drawled, rolling her eyes. She reclined on Ulquiorra's beautifully embroidered cushions as if she owned the place. "He won't do it." The Chief just shook his head.

"It can't be rushed," he conceded, "these things can't be rushed." The elderly man ambled away, thanking Ulquiorra for his time and complimenting the neatness of his habitation. Penumbra turned to Ulquiorra, elbow on the ground propping her head up.

"You know, it would really help if you would just do it," Penumbra pointed out. "Your souls lived in _Japan_ at the _precise time_ we know Urahara Kisuke fled Soul Society." Penumbra pursed her lips, eyes expectant. "At least a few of your many, _many_ souls have probably been in contact with him. Someone might know something more about him, or who else might be behind this."

"I refuse," Ulquiorra stated flatly. Penumbra sighed.

"Can _I_ at least have a look, then?" she asked, exasperated. Ulquiorra's reply was a curt "no."

"It'll be fast," she added. Another curt "no."

"You'll see any important memories only in the third person," Penumbra promised. "You won't be traumatized." Another "no."

"If you don't, you're holding out information," she pointed out, eyebrows raised. "Information that could save our lives." Ulquiorra nearly hesitated. He threw an "I will not" over his shoulder.

"_You'll_ be able to defend yourself," Penumbra argued, "but if one of us dies because you held out on us, how will you live with yourself?" Ulquiorra went beyond hesitating and simply didn't respond. Something foreign and strange tugged on his chest, and Ulquiorra didn't understand it.

"What will you do if the only place you've know," Penumbra whispered as she leaned in closer, going in for the kill, "the only people you've known, are just cut down? Where will you go?" Ulquiorra glared at the girl. "You'll be all alone in this dark desert with nothing but the memories." Ulquiorra could have winced, if he were one to do that sort of thing. He could bear anything but the memories.

"Fine, girl," Ulquiorra intoned, barely perceivable as a snap. Penumbra smiled a victorious, evil smile.

Penumbra was widely seen amongst the Vasto Lords as possessing powers special even by Hollow standards. She had a knack for fortune telling and an intuition you could bet horses on. Not only did she have the power to see into the future, but she could also see into a person's very soul. Her ability to manipulate energy was believed to be unparalleled by any human, shinigami, or Hollow. Penumbra sat Ulquiorra down in her habitation.

She drank tea in silence and breathed in incense, meditating in silence. When she was ready, she brought her hands close to Ulquiorra's chest. The first layer was emptiness. Deep beneath the emptiness hid a thick layer of darkness, pain, and despair. It was the trauma of his souls' deaths.

But in that cloud, she found something. A face. Two faces. "Two shinigami," she whispered. "They brought you here. They made a gate to Hueco Mundo." Ulquiorra's eyes shot open. He saw the shinigamis' faces in front of his eyes, watching the memory from the third person.

Penumbra pushed back further, before the deaths. She found precisely one hundred and forty-six ribbons of red, one hundred and forty-six shinigami souls within him, and she looked through their memories.

"Eight high-ranking officers of Soul Society were turned into Hollows-like things by Urahara Kisuke," Penumbra recited this already known piece of information and filled in some of the blanks, eyes blank and all-seeing, "it was believed that they were also _rescued_ from execution by Urahara Kisuke and Shihouen Yoruichi and brought to the human world. Those were the two shinigami who brought you to Hueco Mundo."

"Wait," she whispered. She concentrated harder, sifting through the memories. "One shinigami was once sent to the human world under the orders of Urahara Kisuke to retrieve a Hollow who had torn off its own mask. Urahara wanted it for research..."

Penumbra's eyes met Ulquiorra's. "A Hollow who has a torn mask," he repeated.

"An Arrancar," Penumbra sounded. Realization was a terrible thing.

All the little memory fragments clicked in Penumbra and Ulquiorra's collective consciousness. Soul Society was turning Hollows into Arrancar and shinigami into Hollow-like things. And it was Urahara Kisuke that was behind it all. He was the one blending the border.

"The shinigami have learnt to make Arrancar," Penumbra stated. "They have brought that power to Hueco Mundo to create these new, 'perfected' Arrancar. But why?"

"Commander Yamamoto would not order Vasto Lords killed," Ulquiorra reasoned. "A Vasto Lord that would be reborn as a shinigami might have power much greater than even his."

"And he wouldn't let that happen," Penumbra brooded, leaning back on her crimson embroidered cushions. "Perhaps Yamamoto is doing to die, and he's looking for a replacement strong enough to keep the Gotei 13 unified?"

"It is possible," Ulquiorra considered, "although the murder of so many Vasto Lords seems too reckless for the Gotei 13. Where the Vasto Lords will go cannot be predicted; many may not become shinigami. Some of the more powerful people may even retain their memories."

"Maybe there are shinigami that are going against the will of Soul Society?" Penumbra suggested, shrugging a little. "Building their own army of Arrancar."

Ulquiorra's eyes sharpened. "For what reason?"

"Oh there's so many possibilities," Penumbra professed. "Revenge, resources, intractable differences. The list goes on and on." She shrugged. "Whatever's going on, we know that the invading shinigami are probably Urahara and Shihouen."

"Not necessarily," Ulquiorra contradicted. "Although it is likely, there is a chance that someone else has gotten a hold of Urahara Kisuke's research. We know they have the ability to open Garganta."

"Either way, this answers a lot of questions," Penumbra sighed, running her pale fingers through short dark hair. "If it wasn't Urahara and Shihouen, I have the names and faces of all the more recent Captains of Soul Society, as well as a sense of their personalities and abilities. I can match it up with whatever we hear about them."

"And what purpose will that serve?" Ulquiorra asked dully. Penumbra smiled mischievously.

"So I'll have a distinct advantage when I face off against these clowns," Penumbra grinned confidently. Ulquiorra's sombre face grew dark.

"You can't do that," he said. Penumbra laughed, then her eyes turned serious.

"They're causing a lot of trouble for the Vasto Lords," she said, "it's only a matter of time before they find us." Her eyes shone with a fierce determination. "When the time comes, I want to be ready."

* * *

"Ulquiorra," Penumbra shouted, throwing herself through the colourfully embroidered folds of his habitation. "Come quick!" Ulquiorra cracked open one eye, but by the time he did, she was gone. Ulquiorra closed his eye again, this time as if to sigh. He arose from his seat, where he had been meditating quietly. He took his sword.

Walking through the small village, it wasn't hard to see that something was really kicking up a ruckus. Ulquiorra found Penumbra amongst a crowd of Vasto Lords.

"There is a newcomer," Ulquiorra stated. Why had Penumbra been so urgent?

"Not just a newcomer," Penumbra replied, "we think he's one of _them_." Penumbra had a bad feeling. She pushed through the crowd.

"Soleado," Penumbra called, a tone of urgency in her voice. She broke through the crowd to where the Elders were negotiating with the visitor.

"Go back to your habitation, Penumbra," Soleado warned, without diverting his eyes from the visitor. Penumbra took a good look at the intruder. He was tall and lanky, with greasy black hair and an eye-patch. His sword was unsheathed and he held it against his shoulder. She couldn't see his Hollow hole, but she was sure he wasn't a Vasto Lord. The man looked threatening.

"My name is Nnoitra," the man said, raking his eyes over Penumbra. "You guys are Vasto Lords, right?"

"We are," Chief Yano allowed. "And what precisely are you?"

In a second, Nnoitra's sword was at the Chief's jugular. "I'm the one asking the questions here, got it?" Nnoitra grinned, his one visible eye narrowed.

The Chief didn't look fazed. "If you do not come peacefully," he said, a hair's breadth away from oblivion, "then you are not welcome here." Nnoitra's one exposed eye widened in rage.

But before he could slash off the Chief's head, Penumbra had a sword made of energy scraping against Nnoitra's. "He wasn't joking. You have to leave." She said, eyes narrowed. In the many times Ulquiorra had seen her sparring with one of the others, he had never seen her look so dangerous. Her weapon hissed with power, hardened energy glowing crimson.

Nnoitra just smirked, a dirty, lecherous thing. He kneed her hard in the gut, and she toppled onto the floor. "Fucking bitch," he spat as she heaved bile onto the sand. Her eyes were wide with shock. How could he be so strong? Was this an Arrancar's strength?

"Now, listen up fuckers," Nnoitra shouted, swinging his sword boisterously over his shoulder. "Either one of you guys comes with me to serve Captain Aizen, or I fucking kill all of you." Penumbra's eyes flashed with recognition. Aizen was one of the newer Captains, gentle and nurturing. The memories surfaced quickly, like a book whose pages are flipped by the wind.

Soleado's chin jutted up with pride. "We'd rather die than bow to a shinigami," he said, voice heavy with dignity and resolution. "We have at least that much pride." He drew energy from within himself and crafted a mace from his reiatsu. He held it expertly in his hand, falling into stance.

Nnoitra grinned. "I was hoping you'd say something like that." In a flash, Soleado's chest was slit open, blood gushing out as he collapsed to the floor. A look of complete shock crossed his face. Penumbra cried out to him, but Nnoitra just kicked her hard in the face. Other Vasto Lords conjured their reiatsu weapons, coming to their comrades' rescue. By sheer numbers, one was able to lay a scratch on the Arrancar's back. The result was terrifying.

"You fuckers wanna play hardball?" Nnoitra shrieked, lips curled back into a growl. Fury overwhelmed him and in the blink of an eye, with one swipe, he cut down six Vasto Lords. Even as more Vasto Lords went in for the attack, Penumbra saw the future of her tribe crumbling away. She spat out blood.

Ulquiorra's wide eyes took in everything. A deep and penetrating feeling tugged at his chest, and he didn't know what it was. He was immobilized by this novel feeling, but it shouted at him so desperately to _do something_. Another comrade fell before his eyes. But a powerful instinct deep within told him that if he so much as _breathed_, he would be lost to the unending sea of darkness. So Ulquiorra didn't breathe, didn't move a muscle. He squashed the feeling rising in his chest. The gate of darkness remained locked shut.

Penumbra forced herself to her feet, heaving for air. "Nnoitra, right?"

"Yea, bitch," the arrancar grinned, tossing away a Vasto Lord he had been beating on. Penumbra looked him in the eye, her own eyes burning with both profound determination and mind-numbing fear.

"Your 'Captain Aizen' has betrayed Soul Society," she stated, forcing her voice not to shake.

"Er, yea, so what?" Nnoitra replied, ambling over to the girl. He clenched and unclenched his sword.

"He is a master of deception," Penumbra claimed, confidence lacing her voice. "He has nothing to give you, Nnoitra. If you are looking for wholeness, you need to look with-"

"Shut up," Nnoitra interrupted, swinging his sword down on Penumbra. She blocked at the last moment. The intruder slashed again.

An Arrancar who had been an Adjucas was generally stronger than a Vasto Lord. But what happened in Crepesculo, and, indeed, in all Vasto Lord settlements, went much deeper than that. This Arrancar's brutality was his strength. He lived to fight, lived to kill. Against such a person who feels nothing but bloodlust, the deeply empathetic Vasto Lords could never win. Despite being multiple times stronger than Adjucas, they simply were not fighters. Their immense strength and speed could not replace the warrior's spirit that Nnoitra possessed.

Penumbra fell back, cut deep in her chest. Her frantic eyes went to the one person she had to protect no matter what. "Ulquiorra, take everyone and run. Let me distract him." More of the villagers charged Nnoitra, weapons made of energy in hand, but were quickly overwhelmed. They wouldn't let Penumbra fight on her own. They were family.

"You have to go, Ulquiorra, let me protect you." Ulquiorra watched with wide eyes, frozen in place and knocking on the gate of darkness. People he had known for countless years fell lifeless. Penumbra blocked another swipe of the invader's sword, sweat beading on her forehead. She parried his sword with ever-increasing desperation.

"Let me protect you Ulquiorra," Penumbra cried, eyes overflowing with the desire to protect as she glanced urgently back at him. "It's all I've ever wanted!" Nnoitra stabbed her in the gut, but she had never been more resolute. She coughed up blood. Something inexplicable stirred within Ulquiorra.

"Stop," he said, voice low but commanding. Nnoitra's sword grinded against Penumbra's as his eyes travelled to meet Ulquiorra's. "I will come with you." Nnoitra frowned.

"Fucking too late," Nnoitra spat, swiping Penumbra down into the sand and walking towards Ulquiorra. He swung his sword at Ulquiorra, who blocked easily with his bare hand. Nnoitra's one exposed eye widened in shock. The surviving villagers' mouths fell open.

A profound realization hit Penumbra. She saw what was to come and she smiled weakly. Her body hovered over the injured Soleado. Everything fell into place.

"Ulquiorra feels nothing," she explained to the bewildered man as she expertly sewed up his torn flesh with reiatsu. "He's totally Zen." She smiled, her new vision freeing her heart from fear. Her eyes shone bright with reflections of tomorrow. "He's stronger than anyone, because he feels no love or hate." Tears of joy and sorrow streamed from her eyes. "Just like light goes the fastest because nothing weighs it down."

"You said you were sent by Aizen," Ulquiorra confirmed, "the traitorous Captain of Soul Society."

"That's right," Nnoitra smirked. Ulquiorra paused.

"You shall bring me to him," Ulquiorra deadpanned, tone final, "and only then will I fight you. In return, you and your organization will not cause trouble to this village."

Taken aback, Nnoitra considered the proposal. This guy was small, but he sure seemed tough. Not garbage like the rest of this stinking village. The Espada grinned. "You're on. Let's go."

With those words, Nnoitra sonidoed away, half-hoping Ulquiorra wouldn't follow so that he could go back and finish slaughtering the villagers. Ulquiorra sent one last look to the battered village, all he had ever known. His eyes met Penumbra's. Her eyes were filled with tears and blood stained her, but she smiled so serenely. It was the last thing Ulquiorra saw before running after the Arrancar Nnoitra, away from the comforts of his past and into an unknown future.

"Ulquiorra, I have a vision just for you," Penumbra whispered into the wind, eyes narrowed and filled with tears. "Your love is so strong it will swallow all the worlds." She smiled so brightly, overwhelmed by happiness. "If you're not afraid of it, you will become the God I always knew you were."

Penumbra smiled through the tears, eyes glowing bright. Her voice was soft and rasped. "I just wish I could see it one more time." With a bloody hand, she held onto the deep cut through her heart.


	22. Two Faces of God

Usually a low review count means that a chapter's sub-par, but when it's a flashback, I become concerned that many people just skipped it. If you did, hopefully this chapter will make you want to go back and read it.

Also, something that's been really bothering me lately is the realization that this story is kind of tough on scientists. I therefore feel the need to explain that it is simply because scientists are not portrayed in a positive light in Bleach to begin with. It's too easy to pick on Mayuri. Although some scientists are evil, like Andrew Wakefield, most of the scientific community works tirelessly for society's betterment. I know I will. So don't let negative media stereotypes (like in this story) sway you to thinking that vaccines aren't safe, homeopathy is anything but bullshit, and climate change isn't happening.

Thank you for lending me an ear, please enjoy the release!

* * *

The forest was dark and quiet. Orihime didn't quite know how to react to Ulquiorra's story. There was just so much to take in. He was watching her with expectant eyes, but Orihime didn't know what he was expecting. She said the first thing that came to mind, just to break the arduous silence.

"So when faced with a dangerous situation," Orihime started quietly, "You told your friend 'I'll figure it out when the time comes'?"

"Yes," Ulquiorra replied, unsure why this insignificant point was the first for her to touch on.

"And yet," Orihime continued slowly, looking up at Ulquiorra with accusing eyes, "you teased me for saying exactly that when we were at the fair?" Ulquiorra's stare flattened somewhat.

"I'm being serious, Orihime," Ulquiorra deadpanned.

Orihime got up on her knees, huffing in indignation. "So am I! You make fun of me, and yet you said the same thing in a much more dangerous situation!"

"Yes, and I regretted not taking Penumbra's warning seriously," Ulquiorra admitted, eyes steadily on Orihime. "I did not fathom the kind of danger that I would find myself in, and I did indeed suffer for being unprepared." Orihime's eyes grew wide.

"Really?" Orihime sat back onto her tush, eyes waiting for an elaboration.

"Have you not noticed?" Ulquiorra asked, sitting cross-legged in front of Orihime and watching her with intense eyes. "Despite having strength and speed vastly greater than Grimmjow's, why was it that I was so easily defeated by him?" Orihime just blinked. She remembered when Ulquiorra had been caught in the Caja Negacion. "It is because before coming to Las Noches, I had never fought a single battle. Compared to Grimmjow, who has fought tooth and nail every day of his existence, my skills are acutely inadequate."

Orihime was surprised to hear this. "But you're so graceful!"

Ulquiorra dismissed her comment. "Grace is a subjective quality, but my skill is pointedly inferior." He continued to glare at Orihime sharply, waiting for her next point.

The redhead thought for another moment. "So you were a Vasto Lord before becoming an Arrancar?" Ulquiorra's eyes sharpened.

"I was a Vasto Lord only for an instant," Ulquiorra clarified. "As a Vasto Lord, all the memories of all one's constituent souls are at hand. Because of the nature of the deaths, memory was a tremendous burden that I was unable to handle."

"Which is why you lost your heart," Orihime whispered. "And tore off your own mask."

"Yes," Ulquiorra whispered. Orihime looked up at him with sad eyes.

"It must have been horrible," Orihime ventured. She approached the fallen angel with open arms. "I'm so sorry." Her arms encircled the man, whose eyes closed just a little at the emotion in Orihime's voice. She held her breast against his pallid face, as if to envelop him in her heart. "I'm _so_ sorry." Orihime leaned her cheek against his raven-black hair. They stayed like this for a long moment.

* * *

Renji towed an injured and cursing Grimmjow through the halls of the Sixth Division before the gawking eyes of his subordinates. "Will ya just shut up and walk?" Renji yelled.

"I'm not your fucking pet, stop dragging me," Grimmjow yelled right back, still being dragged. "You're lucky I don't rip your throat out…" Grimmjow proceeded to double over and cough out blood and bile.

"Oi, be careful," Renji exclaimed, still dragging Grimmjow to the division's medical office.

Grimmjow wiped blood from his mouth. "Ya did a crappy job healing me." Renji's eyes bulged from his face.

"Sh-Shut up and be grateful," Renji stuttered. "I could 'ave just left ya to die out there, ya know!"

Grimmjow snickered, teeth stained red with blood but eyes laughing. "But then ya'd never know what happened in there." Renji threw a look back at the Arrancar, bloodied and weak. His eyes narrowed with pain as his thoughts drifted again to Rukia and Yasutora.

"I'm going to get you some help," Renji grumbled, looking forward away from Grimmjow. "And then you're going to help me, Grimmjow." Just at that moment, Byakuya turned the corner down the hall, robes billowing gracefully behind him. His face was as calm and poised as always when he set his icy glare on Renji.

"C-Captain," Renji started. Byakuya cut him off.

"Where did you get the Arrancar?" Byakuya asked levelly. Renji's eyes hardened with anger and resolution.

"The Twelfth Division."

* * *

"You are a specimen of Captain Kurotsuchi's, so I cannot let you escape." Rukia's face twisted in disgust. Fire blazed all around her, destroying buildings and burning trees to ash.

"You commend this kind of treatment of your fellow shinigami?" Rukia demanded. She brought her already-bloodied hand to her side, which despite the shallowness of the cut, continued to bleed profusely. "Have you lost all morals?"

The man's eyes hardened. "It is not my responsibility to question my Captain's morals. It is my job to do my Captain's will." Rukia cringed again in disgust. She drew her sword.

"I will have to defeat you, then," Rukia said, sword in one hand, sheath in the other. Her nakedness shivered in the cold wind. The man tensed, preparing for combat.

She charged sword first towards the man. Their zanpakutou met to the hiss of steel against steel. Rukia, eyes narrowed in anger, slammed the shinigami's side with the sheath of her sword. He lost balance momentarily, and Rukia took the chance to knee the man in the gut. He swung his sword, but Rukia easily blocked. She hit him in the face with her sheathe, and he toppled over onto the ground.

Rukia frowned, and stuck her sword into the ground. The petite shinigami stalked over to her fallen enemy, and as she approached, he tried to throw himself back into the fight. Rukia stepped on his right arm, keeping him from using his zanpakutou. For good measure, she slammed her sheath into his gut again.

Even injured and bloodied, in terms of strength and skill, Rukia was far superior. The young shinigami scowled up in anger. Rukia frowned.

"Now, listen, insolent cad," Rukia ordered, bending down on one knee. "You are going to bring me to Sado Yasutora." The shinigami spat at her face, smiling a cocky grin. Rukia seethed, eyes fierce.

"Shameful inbred scoundrel," Rukia cursed, wiping her face. She hit him again with the sheath on his face. She repeated her demand. She felt lightheaded.

A flicker of reiatsu sparked in the distance. Rukia stopped the beating, eyes wide and once again lit with hope.

Pulling her zanpakutou out of the ground, Rukia dashed off through dark smoke and fiery red haze.

* * *

Nemu looked down at the collapsed man with empty eyes. He had taken quite a beating before finally losing consciousness. Nemu couldn't help but be impressed by his brute strength.

Looking around, Nemu realized that things were starting to get a little out of control. Many of the buildings were now on fire, as well as many trees, shrubs, as well as some dry grass. Orange smoke plumed up to the night sky, and it was only a matter of time before other divisions started poking their noses in. Nemu's subordinates were running around like chickens with their heads chopped off trying to put out the flames. Many were still frantically searching for the Espada and the shinigami that had escaped.

What pushed this situation to a crisis was that Captain Kurotsuchi had not returned from his meeting yet. He was at least an hour late already, and his absence remained unexplained. As protocol dictated, it was now officially time to cover tracks and prepare for the worst. Nemu flagged over some of her subordinates.

"Bring the human to a fortified holding cell," Nemu ordered apathetically. "Have him treated and do not, under any circumstances, leave him unguarded." The men saluted their Vice-Captain, then hauled the unconscious man away.

Nemu then proceeded to do a full sweep of the division, trying to focus on the reiatsu of Grimmjow and Rukia. Time passed and as she looked through some burning buildings, she felt a familiar reiatsu just outside. Frowning somewhat, Nemu emerged from the fiery red haze to find Isane, the Vice-Captain of the Forth Division.

"What can I help you with, Isane-san?" Nemu intoned calmly, seemingly unaware that some of her hair was on fire.

Isane was not so unaware. She frantically slapped at her colleague's hair. "Nemu, what do you think you're doing, being so careless?" Nemu blushed a little as the flames were extinguished.

"Thank you, Isane-san," Nemu murmured kindly. Isane seemed caught off-guard. She sighed.

"I can see you have a lot to deal with right now," Isane started calmly, despite the chaos and destruction she was vaguely motioning at. Although, to be fair to Isane, chaos and destruction were not that uncommon for the Twelfth Division. "But by order of Captain Unohana, I need the antidote for Captain Kurotsuchi's Golden Ashisogi Jizou."

Nemu's eyes widened. "Father was in a fight?" That explained his absence, but where was he now?

Isane swept aside her sympathy and kept her professionalism. "You will have to ask Captain Unohana or Commander Yamamoto the details. Now, please hand over the antidote, we're already short on time." Numbly, Nemu complied. She barely registered Isane's goodbye as her mind swam. Worry suffocated her.

After just a moment of emotion, Nemu returned to her search, quiet, expressionless, and more determined than ever.

* * *

"Ah, that's much better," Grimmjow grinned as a medic healed his wounds.

"We won't be able to heal you fully with the resources we have here," Byakuya explained, "but we've sent for an officer from the Forth Division."

"Well, ain't that nice of ya," Grimmjow sneered. He looked to the reiatsu-binding handcuffs that had him trapped to the bedposts. Once he was fully healed, he believed, he could overpower them. A camera flashed beside him, taking pictures of Grimmjow's wounds.

"Are you familiar with the name Kuchiki Rukia?" Byakuya asked calmly.

Grimmjow eyed the man from the corner of his eye. "No." Renji frowned, but Byakuya didn't look fazed. Gracefully, his hand slid into the fold of his robe.

"This is Kuchiki Rukia," Byakuya stated, holding a picture of his sister up for the Arrancar to see. "You met her with Kurosaki Ichigo when you invaded Karakura Town with your Fraccion." The Arrancar took one look at the picture before grinning. Byakuya's eyes narrowed. "You nearly killed her."

"Kuchiki Rukia's her name, is it?" Grimmjow commented offhandedly. "And I bet you want to know what happened to her?"

"Where did you last see her?" Byakuya asked calmly, grey eyes flat and expectant.

Grimmjow leaned his head back against the wall. "Ah, that's a tough one," Grimmjow motioned grandly. His hard blue eyes met Captain Kuchiki's. "What's in it for me?"

"You get to live," Byakuya replied immediately.

"Not enough," Grimmjow shot right back, eyebrows raised expectantly and still grinning. Byakuya considered his options for just a minute as he appraised the maniacal grin on Grimmjow's face. This was a man undaunted by death.

"If you answer my questions and testify what you witnessed when needed," Byakuya proposed, "I will arrange for you to be released to the human world. I will insure that you may fight Kurosaki Ichigo without interference from Soul Society." Renji chocked on his spit and stared up at his Captain.

"C-Captain-" Renji stuttered.

"I'm not interested in Kurosaki anymore," Grimmjow dismissed boisterously. "The guy's fucked as far as I'm concerned."

"Then who do you want?" Byakuya asked, voice flat and deadly. Grimmjow's grin just got wider. His eyes shone with madness and excitement.

"I want to fight Ulquiorra."

* * *

"What will you do now?" Orihime asked. "Even though you've told me all of this, I don't understand what it all means." Ulquiorra's sharp eyes were piercing.

"I could not wait any longer," Ulquiorra intoned, eyes watching Orihime intensely. "I had to tell you where I came from, so that you would understand."

"Understand what?" Orihime asked. She had never seen Ulquiorra look so conflicted. He fought against the urge to let his gaze drop.

"If something were to happen to me," Ulquiorra avowed, steadfast, "I want you to know who I was. I want you to see how far I have come, and know that it is all because of you." Ulquiorra tightly held Orihime's hands in his. Orihime's fearful eyes were wide and disbelieving. "I want you to always remember that in the short time I spent with you, I lived more than I had in the six decades prior. Remember that I did not regret a single thing. And, more than anything else," Ulquiorra vowed, eyes burning, "I want you to know that I loved you. Loved you with everything I had." The Arrancar's words resounded in the night with nothing but truth. Orihime was overwhelmed.

Dread filled Orihime's eyes like tears. "Ulquiorra, I don't understand," she sobbed. "Why are you telling me this?" Ulquiorra lifted Orihime onto his lap and cradled her gently. Her head fell into the crook of his neck. Ulquiorra stroked her soft tresses soothingly.

"Orihime, I am an Arrancar," Ulquiorra reasoned, breathing in the scent of Orihime's hair. "You cannot expect Soul Society to just leave me to my own devices. I am what a researcher would call an 'interesting specimen'," Ulquiorra explained gently. "Much like you are, but it is much easier to abduct a Hollow and get away with it than a human ally such as yourself. Many powerful people would protect you. In my case, Soul Society would just have to say that I had caused some sort of trouble. It will be trivial for them." He held Orihime tightly against him, savouring the feeling of her body against his. But Orihime pushed him back.

"Why are you giving up?" Orihime demanded, breaking through her sadness with wild eyes. "You knew that there'd be trouble, but you were always facing it so courageously! Why are you giving up now?"

"Orihime, I wanted to believe that they would forget about me if I faded into the background," Ulquiorra explained. "But it is obvious now that they will go to any lengths to pursue their ambitions-"

"That's no excuse," Orihime cried, pushing against Ulquiorra's chest. She stood boldly on two feet and stared down the Arrancar. His eyes widened and he stared at Orihime's flustered face. "Didn't you promise me forever? Didn't you say that no matter how tough the battle, you'd find a way to stay by my side? You can't just take that all back now, it's too irresponsible!" Ulquiorra's expression became grave, and he stood to face Orihime.

"If I were to do that, and more than anything else I want to," Ulquiorra reasoned, something burning in the cold depths of his eyes, "it is obvious to me now that you would become a target too." His face grew dark, almost to the point it chilled Orihime's blood. "For years I had been told that the shinigami have no morals, but it is only by seeing their cruelty for myself that I understand how deep their depravity runs." Ulquiorra brought his hands to Orihime's cheeks, holding her securely. "Protecting you is my ultimate priority." But Orihime wouldn't have it.

"You're strong, though, aren't you?" Orihime demanded. "Kurosaki-kun is supposed to be Captain-class, and you nearly killed him with only your _hand_. No release, not even your _sword_, Ulquiorra." Her words were biting as her eyes glared up at Ulquiorra sharply. "Don't pretend like you couldn't defeat anyone who'd come for you!"

Ulquiorra's face was shadowed with gravity. "I would kill every single Captain of the Gotei 13 if it meant we could be together. I would kill all your friends without hesitation if it were the only way." The Arrancar's eyes narrowed dangerously. "But the Soul Society is resourceful. My strength is meaningless when I have a single thing that I cannot let die." Orihime's eyes widened and she took a step back, as if struck.

"Do you think I'm some damsel-in-distress?" Orihime demanded, taking another step back, furious like only Ulquiorra could make her. "That I'd let them hurt me? Hurt you?"

"Orihime, that is not what I meant-"

"That is what you meant," Orihime yelled, swiping away Ulquiorra's hand as he reached for her. "And this whole time I thought at least you believed in me." Ulquiorra grabbed Orihime roughly by the shoulders and kissed her deeply and passionately. His tongue circled hers, passionately falling into the depths of her love. He tasted her sweet breath and revelled in the softness of her lips. The feeling of her chest against his was magical. Ulquiorra pulled back when he was breathless. Orihime looked up at him with conflicted eyes.

"I have just developed the ability to want to protect someone even at the cost of my own life," Ulquiorra stated gravely. "I strongly believe this is something you should be encouraging."

"Not at the cost of your life," Orihime breathed. "I can protect myself, and I can protect you, Ulquiorra." The Arrancar's eyes widened.

Orihime swallowed the tears she would not show, and looked up at Ulquiorra confidently. With a small smile, she stared right into his soul. "I will protect you," Orihime stated, as one would state an undisputable fact. "Whether it's Soul Society or Grimmjow or anyone, I will protect you." Ulquiorra's expression softened in complete adoration, although a passerby would never notice the difference. The two looked at each other for a long time before Ulquiorra pulled Orihime into a deep hug.

"I love you," Ulquiorra said. "So much I don't know what to do with it." Orihime smiled widely.

"Who knew Hollows had hearts after all?" Orihime teased, eyes once again playful. "To think you've denied it this whole time while knowing it was true." Story of his life, really.

"Normal Hollows don't have hearts," Ulquiorra countered. "Only Vasto Lords."

"So you're a Vasto Lord now?" Orihime asked, tilting her head. Suddenly, Ulquiorra's soft expression froze.

"Not quite yet," Ulquiorra murmured, darkness suddenly encroaching upon him.

"Urahara wanted to create the perfect being that transcends the limits of shinigami and Hollow." He looked down at their entwined hands. His fingers were pale and thin as bone against hers soft and plump with life. "To create something at the center of the spectrum."

"A human?" Orihime suggested. Ulquiorra drew his hands back, tucking them in his pockets. He looked up at the fading night sky.

"A human with 100 000 souls," Ulquiorra whispered after taking a deep breath. "A human that grows to encompass the whole world. A human that is the essence of what it means to be human, but is far too powerful to be called a human." Ulquiorra's eyes shifted again to Orihime. She looked unsure. "A Vasto Lord, Orihime. A God."

"Ul-Ulquiorra," Orihime voiced, although she couldn't think of anything else to say. She feared the distant look in the man's eyes. It was as if he could drift away like ash in the gentle breeze.

"Orihime, you have opened up whole new worlds to me," Ulquiorra admitted slowly, his eyes flooded with tenderness. For once he seemed truly relaxed. "You have shown me that the chance to feel love is worth suffering the tremendous pain." Orihime held onto his hand because she thought he'd be lost if she didn't. His voice shook so uncharacteristically. "You have shown me that the chance to truly live is worth suffering my," he paused, a look of bliss crossing his face, "my inevitable death." His sharp emerald eyes begged Orihime to understand.

"Orihime, I'm so close," Ulquiorra whispered, voice heavy with meaning. "I can feel it, Orihime."

"Close to what?" Orihime asked, scared despite herself. Her face was pale and her wide eyes followed Ulquiorra's every move.

"My souls," Ulquiorra whispered, eyes half-lidded and watching empty space. "I feel as if I can almost reach them now."

"Ulquiorra, you're scaring me," Orihime whispered, eyes begging for an answer. "What's going on?" Ulquiorra's eyes widened and he focused on Orihime again.

"I am sorry," Ulquiorra murmured, looking down at his hands, then at Orihime. He looked to his left, then ambled away distractedly. Orihime watched on, confused.

"I've never seen you like this, Ulquiorra," Orihime called after him. He stopped, and looked back at her from a distance with gentle green eyes. His black hair and clothes made him look lost in the darkness.

"I have never felt this way before," Ulquiorra murmured. He looked up at the night sky. "I am sorry to frighten you." Orihime noticed his hand was shaking in his pocket.

The redhead strode over and took hold of Ulquiorra's arm. She looked up at her former captor with sympathy. "This must be terrifying for you too." Ulquiorra's reptilian eyes looked down at her.

"I always believed that the emptiness was a gift," Ulquiorra murmured, looking back up at the sky. "If happiness could not exist without insufferable pain, I believed I was best without either." He closed his eyes. "Never again would I allow myself to return to the darkness. That is what I believed back then."

"And now?" Orihime ventured.

Ulquiorra looked at her with great tenderness. "I am in love with you. The fact that I understand what that means proves that I have already forgone emptiness." Orihime's eyes drowned in sympathy.

"So you need to return to the darkness?" Orihime whispered. Ulquiorra took her hands in his.

"I no longer fear the darkness," Ulquiorra promised, bringing his forehead to Orihime's. He closed his eyes. "Because I understand that beyond the darkness, I will find 101 624 human souls that will lend me their light." Orihime looked up at Ulquiorra with bright eyes.

"So what Urahara always wanted to create," Orihime began, unsure, "was a Vasto Lord?" Ulquiorra stroked the side of Orihime's face with gentle fingers.

"No," Ulquiorra said. "An Arrancar who had been a Vasto Lord is just the closest that a Hollow can come to what Urahara seeks. Something like me is even closer to it than the Vizards who had been Captains."

"And that's why Urahara-san helped you out," Orihime reasoned, "because he knew that you could become a Vasto Lord?"

Ulquiorra held Orihime's head against his, leaning close to her tenderly. "Yes, I believe so."

"What do you think he wants to do with you, then?" Orihime questioned, tilting her head cutely. Morning light started scintillating strands of her auburn hair.

Ulquiorra didn't know. "At the moment, that is unimportant," Ulquiorra stated. He looked to the East, where light was colouring the clouds a soft lilac. "The night has ended, and Sado and Kuchiki have not been found."

Orihime's brow tensed. "They just have to be in Soul Society."

"That is correct," Ulquiorra agreed, still gazing at the sunrise. "Your nakama have likely come to this conclusion as well, and will soon prepare to go to Soul Society." The Arrancar's bean green eyes shifted to Orihime. "Am I correct in assuming you will go as well?" Orihime's face had hardened in determination.

"Of course," she asserted. Wordlessly, Ulquiorra pulled back from her, and took her hand in his. He led Orihime back to the forest.

"I have told you that Soul Society is corrupt," Ulquiorra started. "As an institution, they have no respect for life. Despite their pledge to protect humans, they allow death and decay to reign in Rukongai." The two weaved through the trees as Ulquiorra calmly explained what he knew. "And they spend their days seeking glory and drinking sake while humans are devoured by Hollows." Ulquiorra shot a look back at Orihime. "This ensures the well-being of the Gotei 13, but it goes against the mission statement of individual shinigami to protect humans from Hollows at any cost."

"If you're going through all this to say that Kuchiki-san had it coming..." Orihime warned, frowning at Ulquiorra's back.

"Kuchiki is hard-working. I hold no spite against her," Ulquiorra was quick to add. "But without a true moral compass, shinigami have the freedom to do true monstrosities."

Orihime's brow furrowed. "Like what?"

Ulquiorra shot a look over his shoulder. "Like human experimentation." Orihime's mouth fell open in shock.

"No," she said simply. "There's no way. No." Her face grew pale. Ulquiorra pressed forward through the dark forest.

Orihime felt the blood drain from her. "W-wait, Ulquiorra, are you saying that Kuchiki-san and Sado-kun are..."

"That's the most likely situation," Ulquiorra answered quickly.

Orihime thought she was going to gag. "How do you know?" she whispered.

Ulquiorra looked over his shoulder with concern. The two were almost running now. "The other night, I saw Barragan." Orihime's eyes widened. "He was recreated from shreds of reiatsu. He showed signs of invasive clinical study."

"Grimmjow was unconscious when he disappeared," Orihime realized.

"Kurotsuchi Mayuri is the most likely culprit of his disappearance," Ulquiorra stated. "He has the same twisted ambitions as Urahara, and even less ethics."

"So maybe while they were taking Grimmjow away," Orihime voiced, face frozen with dread, "Kuchiki-san and Sado-kun were on the way home and they noticed a strange reiatsu."

"It would explain the reiatsu patterns that we found," Ulquiorra agreed. "They had been walking on a direct route back to Karakura High School, and they abruptly stopped at a street corner."

"Why didn't you say so sooner? We have to rescue them quickly," Orihime stated, eyes wide with fear. She ran faster, pulling Ulquiorra behind her. "We have to go to Soul Society now." They broke out onto a street. Orihime stopped abruptly and swung around on her heels to look Ulquiorra in the eye.

"_I_ have to go to Soul Society," Orihime corrected. "If you go, you'll be killed. You have to stay here."

Ulquiorra's slender eyebrow rose. "You truly believe I will let you go on your own?" Orihime's chin jutted up defensively.

"I'm not letting you go," Orihime stated definitively. "I'm not going to rescue Kuchiki-san and Sado-kun just to lose you, Ulquiorra."

Ulquiorra approached her, bringing his hands gently to her hips. His eyes were tender. "And I will never let harm find you, Orihime." Orihime couldn't help but smile.

"You understand it now, don't you?" Orihime murmured, hand on Ulquiorra's chest. "The desire to protect?"

Ulquiorra's stoic face softened. "I do. And you understand that when there's someone that you would do anything to protect, it is cruel to try to stop them?"

"And that's why you're staying here," Orihime decided with a smile.

"That is why I am coming with you," Ulquiorra corrected. He let go of Orihime and walked a few steps down the street. His eyes brightened strangely. "Unless, of course, you can get to Urahara before I can." Orihime's eyes sparkled in return.

"You're on," she accepted. The two ran down the dark street as fast as they could, pushing each other beyond their limits.

* * *

"Rukia and Chad aren't here," Ichigo stated definitively as he arrived at meeting spot he had decided on. He flailed his arms, deep anger burning in his eyes. "Not anywhere in this whole fucking world."

"We've looked all night," Uryuu said, throwing a look at his watch. "It's 5:19 in the morning, the sun has already started to rise."

"So they really must be in Soul Society," Tatsuki concluded, sitting down on the side of the curb, exhausted. "What do we do now?"

"Urahara," Ichigo stated, dark bags under his burning eyes. "Urahara will get us to Soul Society." Tatsuki's gaze dropped.

"Maybe you should sleep a little, Ichigo," Tatsuki gently suggested. "You already haven't been sleeping..."

"I can't sleep while they're still missing," Ichigo shot down. "Did you sleep a minute the night Inoue disappeared?" Tatsuki nodded. She couldn't help but still feel bad just looking at Ichigo, all dishevelled and desperate.

"Well, Urahara's run-down hut is nearby," Uryuu noted, deep blue eyes already looking down the street. "Let's be on our way." Just before the troupe were able to set off, however, an unexpected force blasted straight into them.

"Give it up, Ulquiorra," Orihime yelled as she ran at top speed. She turned the corner... and ran right into Uryuu. They toppled to the ground. Hot on her tail, Ulquiorra stopped short of running into Ichigo. He stopped about three inches from the Vizard's face, an awkwardly close position.

Orihime gasped, sitting on top of a barely-conscious Uryuu. He bled a little at the back of his head. "Are you alright, Ishida-kun?" she demanded. She took him by the shoulders and tried to shake him awake. Ulquiorra noticed where Orihime had found herself, and Ichigo could have sworn a nerve popped on the Arrancar's forehead.

"Orihime, get up from him before I make you," Ulquiorra deadpanned. Orihime's eyes widened and she jumped to her feet.

"Where are you guys going in such a hurry?" Tatsuki asked, eyebrow raised. The two looked at each other, and their faces turned intensely sombre.

"We think we know where Sado-kun and Kuchiki-san are," Orihime asserted. Uryuu sat up, rubbing the back of his head.

"It's a safe bet they're in Soul Society," Uryuu responded. With Orihime's help, he rose to his feet. She apologized again.

Ulquiorra's eyes narrowed. "Who is responsible?" The whole group looked uncomfortable.

"You did not want to think about it," Ulquiorra noted. "Which of your comrades do you trust the least?"

Uryuu's eyes hardened. "Kurotsuchi Mayuri." Ichigo's eyes widened and he swung his head to face the Quincy.

"Why him?" Ichigo demanded. "I mean, he's freaky, but c'mon, he saved your life!" Uryuu was silent but steadfast. He didn't pass a glance at the shinigami. Ulquiorra responded for him.

"That does not matter," Ulquiorra asserted. His eyes travelled to the bristled Uryuu. "Kurotsuchi Mayuri and men like him have slain and tortured Quincies for centuries." Uryuu's eyes sharpened and he frowned.

"That's none of your business," Uryuu issued challengingly. Ulquiorra, unexpectedly, didn't rise to the challenged. Uryuu was astonished when the Arrancar's bean green eyes softened and he looked up at the night sky, once again almost wistful.

"I once knew someone who had many Quincy souls within him," Ulquiorra revealed, lost again in reverie. "Can you imagine, 469 Quincy souls that so rejects soul multiplicity, coexisting as one with each other and 65 389 other souls?" All eyes went to Orihime, all asking the same question. "What a conflicted individual he was." Orihime slapped both hands onto Ulquiorra's cheeks.

"Please stay focused, Ulquiorra," Orihime asked cutely. "Focused." Ulquiorra shook his head a little, as if to clear the memories rising uninhibited. Ulquiorra's eyes met Uryuu's.

"The Vasto Lords hold great sympathy for the Quincy," Ulquiorra offered, almost like a condolence. "Although we disagree with their premises, we have always respected your people's integrity."

"What do you mean?" Uryuu asked, oddly disarmed by the waves of calm rolling off his once-enemy.

Ulquiorra seemed oddly Zen. It was freaking everyone out a little, even Orihime, who had seen it just a while earlier. "The Quincy had only one soul each, and they fought so that every creature would have only one soul each. They were not hypocrites like the shinigami."

"Okay, I'm lost," Ichigo exclaimed, frustrated with this pointless distraction. "What's your point, here? Who has Rukia and Chad?"

Ulquiorra's eyes met Ichigo's, and he could read every emotion there. Moreover, he could understand those emotions. "You love Kuchiki Rukia, don't you?" Ichigo bristled.

"Talking to you is a waste of time," Ichigo growled. "I'm going to Urahara's." He stomped down the street. Ulquiorra stared at the man's back, and his eyes sharpened. The sun's light crept into the clouds above, staining them magenta and lilac.

"Kurotsuchi Mayuri has them," the Arrancar offered, eyes once again cold and penetrating. "They are likely held under top security in the Twelfth Division's research labs." Slowly, Ichigo turned to look at Ulquiorra over his shoulder. His whole body was tense and his eyes were filled with horror.

"You don't mean-" Ichigo cut himself off.

Ichigo, Uryuu and Orihime stopped breathing. They felt two familiar reiatsus re-emerge at the other end of town. All eyes widened in astonishment as Rukia's and Yasutora's reiatsus could once again be felt, both together to the West of the group's current location.

The friends exchanged a startled look, and they all wordlessly dashed towards where they sensed their friend's reiatsu. Tatsuki, unable to sense the change, ran after the others, confused.

"This is suspicious," Ulquiorra stated, as he ran through the streets along with the rest of them, Orihime at his side.

Orihime pressed ahead faster. Her eyes were still drowning in fear. "I just hope they're alright."

"I thought they were at the Twelfth Division," Ichigo called out to Ulquiorra from up ahead.

Ulquiorra thought on it a moment. "Perhaps they have escaped. Perhaps they were released."

"Either way," Uryuu brooded, "there's trouble ahead." Ulquiorra nodded.

The group finally arrived to where they sensed Rukia and Yasutora. They were taken aback when they saw that it was Karakura High School, of all places. Just what was going on? The friends entered the school gates, and tracked the reiatsu readings down to their Math class, the first class of their day, Uryuu remembered.

Ichigo slid open the sliding door with a loud clack. "Rukia, Chad!" There they were, simply sitting at their seats, school books in hand and dressed in their uniforms, as if this was what they did every day at five o'clock in the morning. "What the hell are you guys doing here?"

"Hey Ichigo," Rukia greeted like usual. "Where's your body?" Her brow tensed, looking honestly confused. Ichigo strode towards Rukia and took her by the shoulders. "Hey, you look like shit, what happened to you?" Ichigo was startled. Something was wrong. He examined her face.

"Where were you last night?" Ichigo asked, eyes searching her face. Rukia looked confused by the question.

"I was sleeping in your closet, like usual," she answered, aggravated at how tight Ichigo was squeezing her shoulders. "What's wrong with you, Ichigo?"

But Ichigo had stopped listening. Numbly, he brought his fingers to the small girl's neck, his rough finger tracing recently-scarred flesh that seemed to have been sewn together with transparent plastic thread. The cut went from the base of her neck, down past her clavicle and disappeared down her uniform. Shoving up the woman's long grey sleeve, Ichigo saw a large bandage, just slightly dotted with fresh blood, on the sensitive skin of her inner elbow and down a few inches onto her forearm.

Horror-stricken, and deaf to Rukia's reproaches, Ichigo lifted Rukia's shirt above her stomach and saw a series of surgical cuts carefully sewn back together with that same transparent plastic thread. More disturbing still was a hastily-set bandage on her side that was just about soaked red with blood.

Seeing the scar tissue on Rukia, Uryuu turned quickly to Yasutora. Approaching, he saw faint blue bruises scattered generously on the man's dark skin. "Take your shirt off, Sado," he demanded urgently. His cool blue eyes were sharp.

Although confused, Yasutora obliged, silently rising to full height from his chair and unbuttoning his uniform carefully. When his chest and arms were revealed, Orihime stumbled back into Ulquiorra's chest, her hands over her mouth in horror. There were several long cuts all along his heavily-bruised arms and chest, hastily stitched together with that transparent thread. They made the burly look like Frankenstein.

None of this Yasutora or Rukia seemed even able to see. Aside from being spooked by their friends' behaviour, they did not see anything wrong with what was going on.

Ichigo's frantic gaze stared deep into Rukia's eyes, and he saw the fear and confusion there. She had no idea what had happened to her, had no idea what was happening at that very moment.

Something inside Ichigo cracked. His back arched forwards and his grip on Rukia's shoulders tightened painfully. The white of his eyes turned black.

"I will kill you, Kurotsuchi."

That single bloodcurdling curse erupted from his lips before he grabbed Ulquiorra by the collar and threw himself out the window in a rain of shattered glass.

* * *

No matter what you say in a review, it's motivational to me. I'm needy that way. I don't want to write if no one's going to read it. That's why I'm not on twitter. So if you're so incline, please review!


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